2009–10 Uruguayan Primera División season

Format

The season was divided into two tournaments: the Apertura and the Clausura. In each tournament, the teams played against each other in a single round-robin format. Whoever plays at home against an opponent in the Apertura played the same opponent as a visitor in the Clausura. The champion of the Copa Uruguaya could have been decided in three ways:

1. If the same team won both the Apertura and the Clausura.
2. If two different teams won the Apertura and the Clausura and one of those teams had the most points in the aggregate table, a single playoff match would have been contested between the two clubs. If the winner of the playoff match was the team with the most points in the aggregate table, they would have won the Copa Uruguaya. If not, the same two teams would have contested a two-legged tie, the winner of which would have been decided on points (3 for a win, 1 for a draw, 0 for a loss). If there was a tie in points after the second leg, the team with the best goal difference would be the Copa Uruguaya champion. If there was a tie in points and goal difference after the second leg, 30 minutes of extra time would be played in two 15-minutes halves, followed a penalty shootout if necessary.
3. If two different teams won the Apertura and the Clausura and neither had the most points in the aggregate table, the Apertura and Clasura winners would play one match (with extra time and a penalty shootout, if needed). The winner of the match would play a maximum of two matches (for points) against the team with the most points in the aggregate table. The team with the most points would be the champion. If there was a tie in points after the second match, goal difference would determine the champion. If there was a tie in points and goal difference after the second leg, 30 minutes of extra time would be played in two 15-minutes halves, followed a penalty shoot-out if necessary.

Relegation

Relegation was determined by an aggregate table of the past two seasons. The teams who had participated only in this season had their points and goal difference multiplied by two. The three lowest-placed teams were relegated to the Segunda División Profesional for the next season.

International qualification

Because of Uruguay's qualification to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, there was no Liguilla Pre-Libertadores this season. The champion of the Copa Uruguaya earned the Uruguay 1 berth in the 2011 Copa Libertadores and 2010 Copa Sudamericana. The Copa Uruguaya runner-up earned the Uruguay 2 berth in the 2011 Copa Libertadores. The Uruguay 3 berth for the 2011 Copa Libertadores went to the highest-placed non-qualified team in the aggregate table. The Uruguay 2 and Uruguay 3 berths for the 2010 Copa Sudamericana went to the next highest-placed non-qualified teams in the aggregate table.

Teams

Sixteen teams competed in the Primera División this season. Thirteen teams remained from the 2008–09 season. Villa Española was relegated last season after the Apertura tournament due to financial reasons. They were joined by Juventud and Bella Vista, who finished 14th and 15th in the relegation table, respectively. These three teams were replaced by Fénix and Cerrito, the 2008–09 Segunda División winner and runner-up, respectively, and Atenas, the Segunda División playoff winner. Both Fénix and Cerrito are returning to the Primera División while this is Atenas' first season in the top-flight.

Torneo Apertura

The Torneo Apertura "Coronel Matías Vázquez" began on August 23, 2009 and ended on December 13, 2009.

Standings

Updated to games played on December 13, 2009.
Source: AUF
Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd goal difference; 3rd goals scored; 4th head-to-head results; 5th draw
1. Nacional was docked three points.
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.

Results

Updated to games played on December 13, 2009.
Source: AUF (Spanish)
1 ^{^} The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Top-ten goalscorers

Updated as of games played on December 13, 2009.
Source: AUF (Spanish)

Torneo Clausura

The Torneo Clausura "Dr. Walter Lanfranco" began on January 23.

Standings

Updated to games played on 2 May 2010.
Source: AUF (Spanish)
Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd goal difference; 3rd goals scored; 4th head-to-head results; 5th draw
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.

Results

Updated to games played on May 2, 2010.
Source: AUF (Spanish)
1 ^{^} The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Top-ten goalscorers

Source: AUF (Spanish)

Aggregate table

Updated to games played on May 2, 2010.
Source: AUF
Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd goal difference; 3rd goals scored; 4th head-to-head results; 5th draw
1. Peñarol and Nacional are qualified as the season finalists (the Apertura and Clausura winners)
2. Nacional was docked three points.
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.

Season topscorers

Source: AUF (Spanish)

Relegation table

Updated to games played on May 2, 2010.
Source: AUF
Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd goal difference; 3rd goals scored; 4th head-to-head results; 5th draw
1. Having only played one season in the Primera División, Atenas', Cerrito's, and Fénix's total points for this year were multiplied by 1.966 for the relegation table.
2. Nacional was docked three points.
3. In the previous season, Rampla Juniors was docked three points won against River Plate, to whom the points were then awarded to.
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.

Championship playoffs

Nacional and Peñarol qualified to the championship playoffs as the Apertura and Clausura winners, respectively. Additionally, Peñarol requalified as the team with the most points in the season aggregate table. Given this situation, an initial playoff was held between the two team. Peñarol needed only to win the playoff to become the season champions; Nacional had to win the playoff to force another two matches, which they successfully did.

Finals

Since Nacional won the initial playoff, an additional two matches was contested to crown the champion. The points system was used for the two matches. The team with the most points at the end of the second game was declared the champion. If there was a tie in points after the second game, goal difference would be used to break the tie, followed by two fifteen-minute extra periods, followed by a penalty shootout if necessary.

Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd goal difference; 3rd extra time; 4th penalty shoot-out.