Country Spain Founded 1991 Level on pyramid 5 | Confederation FCF Number of teams 36 (2 groups) | |
Promotion to Tercera División (Group 5) | ||
The Primera Catalana is the 5th tier of the Spanish football league system and the highest league in the autonomous community of Catalonia. The league was formed in 1991 to replace Regional Preferent as first level of Catalonia and was split into 2 groups since 2011. Primera Catalana is one of 19 regional premier leagues in Spanish football.
Contents
Structure
The league comprises 36 teams (2 groups of 18 teams). Over the course of a season, which runs annually from September to the following June, each team plays twice against the others in the league, once at 'home' and once 'away', resulting in each team competing in 34 games in total. Three points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss. The teams are ranked in the league table by points gained. In the event that two or more teams finish the season equal in all these respects, teams are separated by head-to-head points, then head-to-head goal difference, then head-to-head goals scored, then goal difference and then goals scored.
At the end of the season, the top team of each group and the winner of the Primera Catalana promotion play-off are promoted to the Tercera División (Group 5). The loser of the Primera Catalana relegation play-off and the bottom four teams of each group are relegated to Segona Catalana. The Primera Catalana promotion play-off consist in two legs on a home-and-away basis played by teams finishing in 2nd place, and the winner promote to the Tercera División (Group 5). Teams finishing in 14th place plays the Primera Catalana relegation play-off like promotion play-off format.
The three promoted teams are replaced in the division for the next season by the teams finishing in the bottom three in the Tercera División (Group 5) and the relegated teams are replaced by the teams finishing at the top of Segona Catalana and the three winners of the Segona Catalana promotion play-off.
Clubs
A total of 100 clubs have played in the Primera Catalana from its inception in 1991 up to and including the 2015–16 season. The record of total seasons was 15, owned by AD Guíxols.
The following 36 clubs are competing in the Primera Catalana during the 2015–16 season.
Champions
This section lists the past champions of the Primera Catalana.