Intro
The year 2020 created upheaval to the various South American leagues, and for once it was not the fault of any particular Football Association or CONMEBOL. The global covid-19 pandemic caused the continent's football to stop in March, and pause for several months (up to seven months in the case of Argentina, who only returned at the end of October).
Thankfully Sports Interactive’s Football Manager 2021 title has dealt with this in a balanced approach (more on that here), and thus the temporary and fluid league arrangements that we saw over 2020 are not coded into the various South American structures (phew). But the trade-off here is those South American leagues that have already finished (or near to) by the time the game is released, will now start at the beginning of the next season. To clarify, this means no ‘going back in time’ and playing the 2020 campaigns. This applies to: Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru & Uruguay. This leaves Argentina as the only out-of-the-box league to play competitive domestic football in 2020 (more on this later).
So, I therefore bring you two further guides this year for FM21:
Part One (today’s post) which deals with the updated league structures and the changes due to covid.
Part Two will be an updated Club Guide for each league, featuring 18 teams across the 6 nations that may act as a save inspiration to you.
Disclaimer(s): To avoid this becoming War & Peace in length, I have only focused on the top leagues of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru & Uruguay. Additionally, I have only chosen these nations because they are leagues that are in Football Manager 2021, which do not need any database edits for players to manage in.
If you like this post, or think it will be useful to others, please share via the link at the bottom of this page. The aim of this post has always been to tackle the “I don't know enough about South American football, which means I won’t go there” attitude towards some of the most fun leagues in Football Manager. Even if this post helps just one person in FM21, then it’s been worthwhile.
Thanks in advance for reading.
Argentina
CONMEBOL (the oldest continental confederation in the world) ‘govern’ South American football. Generally their decisions are often ill-timed and nonsensical, with rules being put into place year-on-year with little, to no, notice. But I would say the Argentine Football Association (AFA) are a level above this. Domestic Argentine football has undergone a number of drastic changes over the last decade. These changes have placed Argentina at odds with the rest of the South American leagues, as they now run alongside a traditional European calendar (July to May), as opposed to more popular Central & South American calendar model of Apertura (opening) & Clausura (closing) stages.
We know how some parts of the 2020/21 ‘should’ have been played out, with a newly introduced ‘2020 Copa de la Liga Profesional’ running from October through to January…but beyond this post-covid tournament it’s all become typically AFA again - with details and plans for 2021 only coming out in November 2020. So, for now the Argentine league system predominantly stays as it was handled previously in FM20. But further changes can be patched in FM21, and if this happens, I will update this guide.
So, as-it-stands Argentina in FM21…
Number of clubs in top league: 24 in 2020/21, then one less team each year until a 20 team campaign is reached in 2024/25.
League calendar: For 2020/21: 23 matches per regular Premier Division season (July-March), plus an additional extra 11 games for the Superleague Cup (March-May). Please note, the results from the Superleague Cup will influence the Average Points table and Annual Overall Table (from 34 games) which decides relegation (over a three year period) and also the continental qualification.
Important: The Superleague Cup splits the 24 teams competing in the regular Premier Division season into two groups of 12 teams. The top two of each group will play a two-legged semi, before the winners play one another in a one-legged final at a neutral venue. The finalists earn a Copa Libertadores spot (for the champion) and the runner up with a Copa Sudamericana spot. As it stands, the Superleague Cup is only active for the first two seasons in Football Manager 2021 (2020/21 & 2021/22).
From the 3rd season in Argentina (2022/23), the Superleague Cup will lie dormant. In its place, you will get a 42 game season of Premier Division (from July to May). This structure is actually more simplistic with teams playing each other twice home and away. This does however result in more domestic games from 2022/23, so you may wish to flesh out your squad with a few extra players in order to cope. Once the 5th season is reached (2024/25), the Argentine top league will consist of a 20 team/38 game season league…where it will remain with no further changes!
Transfer windows & restrictions: (1) 08 December 2020 to 21 January 2021, (2) 01 July to 06 August 2021 (foreign signings can still be announced until 16 August 2021). Maximum of 6 foreign players.
Continental qualification: Copa Libertadores Group Stage (1st-3rd), Copa Libertadores Qualifying (4th) and Copa Sudamericana (5th-9th) from the Overall Table. Superleague Cup Winner gets Copa Libertadores and Runner Up gets Copa Sudamericana. Copa Argentina Winner gets Copa Libertadores. Note - it’s worth noting that this is qualification for the following year, as the Argentine league ends at the mid-way point of the continental season.
Top players: Eduardo Salvio (Boca Juniors), Rafael Santos Borré (River Plate) & Silvio Romero (Independiente).
Young starlets: Gonzalo Montiel (River Plate) & Thiago Almada (Vélez Sarsfield) & Fausto Vera (Argentinos Juniors).
Club recommendation: Newell’s Old Boys - They’ve brought back Academy boy Ignacio Scocco, who scores for fun in Rosario. Behind Scocco, you have the evergreen Maxi Rodríguez (39-years-old) pulling the strings. Can you get the best out of these players in their finals years?
Brazil
Over 2 million footballers are registered to play football in Brazil, to put the enormity of that figure into perspective consider that fiercest rivals Argentina 'only' have 300,000 registered players and a neighbouring country like Uruguay has 3 million inhabitants! Brazil is a juggernaut on the footballing scene and the conveyor belt of talent is evident when looking at Europe’s top leagues. This is also the richest South American league too, so you can easily cherry pick the continent's best talent and build a squad to compete with the teams across the Atlantic in Europe.
In Brazil you will find a gruelling all-year-round domestic calendar with national and state championships to ensure you will never get bored. But the challenge here will be to rotate and manage your squad in a way to ensure you last the distance…
Number of clubs in top league: 20
League calendar: 38 matches per regular Serie A season (April-December), then an additional 10+ games within state leagues (January-April), Copa do Brasil runs from (February-September).
Note - A bonus 4th domestic competition is possible if you choose a club from the West (Copa Verde - running July-October) or North East (Copa do Nordeste - running February-April). In 2021 year, the Serie A clubs to enter the Copa Verde are Goiás and Goianiense. Alternatively Serie A clubs Bahia, Ceará, Fortaleza and Sport Recife will enter the Copa do Nordeste.
Important: The regular 20 club Serie A campaign is similar to European Leagues; each side plays one another home and away and this decides both continental qualification and relegation. However it's the state leagues that make Brazil standout as a unique challenge in Football Manager 2021.
Due to economic and geographic problems within a country as vast as Brazil, both clubs and fans have placed great importance on state based football. Each of Brazil's 26 states has its own league that will run in the first quarter of the year. You will play your geographical rivals and although it’s a chance to rotate your squad (with the national league and continental competitions in mind), there will still be an expectation to perform in the big derby games.
Transfer windows & restrictions: (1) 01 January to 27 September 2021 (domestic transfers only), (2) 10 January to 02 April 2021 (foreign transfers only) and 01 July to 31 July 2021 (foreign transfers only). Maximum of 5 foreign players in the match day squad.
Continental qualification: Copa Libertadores Group Stage (Positions 1st-4th in Serie A + Winner of Copa do Brasil), Copa Libertadores Qualifying (5th & 6th) and Copa Sudamericana (7th to 12th). Note - from Serie A, not the state leagues.
Top players: Daniel Alves (São Paulo), Gabriel Barbosa & Giorgian De Arrascaeta (Flamengo).
Young starlets: Jean Pyerre (Grêmio), Matías Zaracho (Atlético Mineiro) & Yeferson Soteldo (Santos).
Club recommendation: São Paulo - It will be a real challenge to de-throne Flamengo…but you’ll be able to call upon the experience of trio Daniel Alves, Hernanes & Juanfran, who are incredibly decorated with European titles.
Chile
The last 10 years have witnessed a Golden Age for Chile on the International scene. However, beneath the glitz of their La Roja stars sits a domestic league desperate to find and develop another generation to pin their hopes on. Football Manager 2021 will give you the chance to unearth those hidden talents. Natural barriers have made Chile feel remote. Whether it’s the Pacific to the West or the Andes to the East…Chile has always been allowed to develop within its own little bubble. It’s yours to discover.
Since the end of the previous league season was not concluded with proper relegations, the ANFP (Asociación Nacional de Fútbol Profesional) has decided that Chile’s top league will include two extra promoted teams (Deportes La Serena & Santiago Wanderers) in order to make an 18 league system for 2021. Therefore, the first two seasons in FM21 see Chile’s league relegate three teams (as opposed to two from 2023 onwards).
Number of clubs in top league: 18 in 2021, then one less team each year until a 16 team campaign is reached in 2023.
League calendar: 34 matches in the 2021 season (February to December) containing 18 teams. Three teams are relegated in 2021 (two with 17th & 18th finishes) and one of 15th or 16th via a two legged playoff, no average points. Plus a Copa Chile cup competition that has two-legged ties running from March to November.
Transfer windows & restrictions: (1) 31 December 2020 to 14 February 2021 and (2) 04 June to 19 July 2021 (maximum of 3 players). Maximum of 7 foreign players (only five over-21 years).
Continental qualification: Copa Libertadores Group Stage (1st & 2nd), Copa Libertadores Qualifying (3rd & winner of Copa Chile) and Copa Sudamericana (4th, 5th & 6th).
Top players: Nicolás Blandi (Colo Colo), Diego Buonanotte (Universidad Católica) & Gonzalo Castellani (Unión La Calera).
Young starlets: Gabriel Suazo (Colo Colo) & Ignacio Saavedra & Raimundo Rebolledo (Universidad Católica).
Club recommendation: Club Deportivo Palestino - the largest collection of Palestinians outside of the Arab World belongs in Chile and they formed a football club! Palestino line up in the traditional Palestinian colours red, green, and white and is a vanguard for Palestinian nationalism in Chile. On the pitch, the clubs youth are often of Palestinian decent and have a love of the artistry that a No.10 brings…with current ex-Premier League playmakers Carlos Villanueva & Luis Jiménez on the books.
Colombia
There was a time when the Colombian league was one of the wealthiest in the world. Attracting the best players from all over the continent and even Europe. By 1951 over sixty percent of the league were foreigners and many Colombian sides opted to leave their own FA in favour of playing glamour ties around the world. Colombian football had become a circus and FIFA would eventually intervene.
Fast forward a few more decades and there was another problem in Colombia: drug cartel ownership of some of Colombia’s big clubs. The league would eventually be hit by those clubs being placed on ‘The Clinton List’. As part of a war on drug trafficking, this was a tool that blocked a group of people in a financial world, prohibiting them to do business with US companies.
The modern day Colombian league is more homogeneous and not as controversial than the bygone eras. Nevertheless it continues to produce good players: Falcao, Jámes Rodrigues, Davidson Sanchez et al. Can you develop the next crop of Colombian worldies? It’s certainly something I will be trying to do in FM21, read my plans with Atlético Junior here.
Number of clubs in top league: 20
League calendar: 20 game Apertura (January-May) followed by a 6 game Apertura-Quadrangular (June) & 20 game Clausura (July-November) followed by a 6 game Clausura-Quadrangular (November-December). Copa Colombia cup competition also runs throughout most of the year (February-November).
Important: Colombia has a classic South American Opening & Closing system, whereby the league campaign is split into two halves. After each half (Apertura & Clausura), the top eight teams are separated into two groups of four who will play one another twice home/away (the top 2 teams from Apertura and Clausura will be separated, but the other 6 teams are drawn into each group). The winner of each group (Quadrangular) will then play one another (again home/away) to see who is crowned league winner. This means there will be two league champions each year.
From there, the winner from each or the Apertura & the Clausura will go on to play in a grand final (known in FM as the Colombian Super Cup). These two legged ties are played mid-late January and can almost be seen as the following season’s opener (think: English Community Shield). Some teams will still count this as a trophy and place more importance to it, but it is acknowledged that there are two league winners every year from the Apertura/Clausura-Quadrangular (rather than one overall winner).
Note - the additional 20th match is a reverse home/away fixture with a local rival.
Transfer windows & restrictions: (1) 11 December 2020 to 09 February 2021 and (2) 03 July to 31 July 2021. Maximum of 4 foreign players (only 3 in the starting XI).
Continental qualification: Copa Libertadores Group Stage (Winner of the Apertura Quadrangular & winner of Copa Colombia), Copa Libertadores Qualifying (Winner of the Clausura-Quadrangular and next best place team in the annual aggregate table). Copa Sudamericana (the four best teams in the annual aggregate table that did not qualify for the Copa Libertadores).
Note - Winning the 2020 Copa Colombia resulted in direct qualification to the 2021 Copa Libertadores Group Stages. This has been left as is, whilst a decision is yet to be made regarding 2022 qualification. Therefore, winning the Apertura-Quadrangular is of greater significance than the Clausura-Quadrangular, because this guarantees you Group Stage participation (weird, I know). This may be updated in a subsequent patch during 2021, when researchers know more about Copa Colombia.
Top players: Jarlan Barrera (Atlético Nacional), Teófilo Gutiérrez (Junior) & Fabián Sambueza (Santa Fe).
Young starlets: Agustín Palavecino (Deportivo Cali), Jaminton Campaz (Deportes Tolima) & Yeison Guzmán (Envigado).
Club recommendation: Deportes Tolima - The jewel in the crown of Colombia’s domestic game right now is Jaminton Leandro Campaz. At 20 years of age, Campaz is blessed with all round ability and the immediate challenge would be to keep hold of him…whilst you mount a surprise domestic challenge. Or alternatively, cash in and rebuild Ibagué’s biggest side, who geographically (and metaphorically) sit in the shadow of their bigger neighbours from Bogota and Cali.
Peru
Football in Peru took a while to get going, partly due to the devastation The War Of The Pacific (1879-1883) would bring. Peru, bound by a pact to protect Bolivia against Chile, would have its capital Lima occupied as Chile forces gained both Bolivian & Peruvian territory by the war’s conclusion. One hundred years later and Peru had its golden generation of players, who reached the 1970 World Cup Quarter Final which was notable for Alianza Lima youngster Teófilo Cubillas winning the Best Young Player Award with 5 goals. Five years later Cubillas, known as El Nene (The Kid), and Peru were Copa América winners.
Reclaiming the 1970s heights for Peruvian football, whether club or country, in Football Manager 2021 will be a challenge. The poorest and the weakest of the out-of-the-box South American leagues, you will need shrewd management to be a success here. Please note - Peruvian domestic football changes annually, so the below is documented to the best my knowledge but is subject to change.
Number of clubs in top league: 20 in 2021 (with four relegations, as opposed to two), then an 18 team campaign from 2022 onwards.
League calendar: Two domestic tournaments (38 games) before a playoff to decide national champion (Apertura winner Vs Clausura winner). Copa Bicentenaro - a recently launched domestic cup competition played between the two top leagues in Peru. Ties are played June to November.
(1) Apertura (Opening) from February to June. Twenty teams playing each other once.
(2) Clausura (Closing) from July to November. Twenty teams playing each other once (with home and away switched from the Apertura)
(3) Championship Playoff in December. The least likely scenario sees four teams contest to decide who is the national champion: winners of both the Apertura and Clausura plus the two leading teams in the aggregate table play a two-legged semi-final (home and away). Each time, the side with the most points in the aggregate table will choose the order of their home leg. No away goal ruling in the final, so in the event of the stalemate the tie will be decided with a third game at a neutral venue which decided the national champion.
However, what’s more like to happen is one of the winners of the Apertura and Clausura being in the top two from the overall table. This team would go straight into the final…meaning there would be just the one semi final. Alternatively, there is a scenario where the Playoff goes straight to a single two-legged final, with both the Apertura and Clausura winners topping the Overall Table.
Lastly, there is a scenario where no Playoff is played. Where one team wins both Apertura and Clausura and is therefore automatically crowned the annual domestic Peruvian champion.
Note - 1st place in Overall Table in Reserves league earns their main team two extra points, 2nd Reserve league finishes earn one point. So, keep an eye on your Reserves as the season progresses.
Important: Relegation is decided via the annual aggregate table, with two sides going down (although four for 2021 year). There is also the possibility of a 16th Position Playoff, should teams draw on points tally via the aggregate table (as Goal Difference is not used to decide relegation).
Note - The Copa Bicentenario participants are split into eight groups who play one another once. The top two teams will progress into the last 16 where it becomes a traditional knockout competition. The winner will be granted entry into the Copa Sudamericana.
Transfer windows & restrictions: (1) 07 January to 29 March 2021 and (2) 13 June to 12 July 2021. Maximum of 5 foreign players.
Continental qualification: Copa Libertadores Group Stage (Top two teams in the annual aggregate table), Copa Libertadores Qualifying (3rd & 4th in the annual aggregate table) and Copa Sudamericana (5th, 6th, & 7th in annual aggregate table and the winner of the Copa Bicentenario).
Top players: Christofer Gonzáles & Emanuel Herrera (Sporting Cristal) & Aldo Corzo (Universitario).
Young starlets: Yuriel Celi (Cantolao), Gianfranco Chávez & Gerald Távara (Sporting Cristal).
Club recommendation: Universitario - The biggest team in Peru might seem like a cop-out here, but the real challenge will be in the Copa Libertadores. Can you make use of the 80,000 capacity stadium and finally win South America’s greatest club prize?
Uruguay
Uruguayan football is a miracle. With just over 3 million inhabitants, how can this small country have won so much on the International scene? It’s not only La Celeste that have punched above its weight, in the continental Copa Libertadores no Brazilian team has won the elite club title more than Peñarol (5 titles) or Nacional (3 titles).
The country is a hotbed for developing warriors with guile, and every generation has its heroes: Enzo Francescoli of the 80s, Álvaro Recoba of the 90s, Diego Forlan of the 00s and present day Luis Suárez. Can you develop the next World Class Uruguayan for the 2020s?
Number of clubs in top league: 16
League calendar: Three domestic tournaments (37 games and possible +2 games extra for finals):
(1) Apertura (Opening) from February to May. Sixteen teams playing each other once.
(2) Intermediate (mid-season tournament) from May to July. Sixteen teams split into two groups of eight - those finishing in odd positions in Apertura in one group and evens the other. The group winners play each other in a one-legged final to determine the mid-season Champion.
(3) Clausura (Closing) from August to December. 16 teams playing each other once (with home and away switched from the Apertura)
Important: despite there being three separate tournaments, there is an overall table of which points from all three tournaments are collated. The reason is that the overall table has a say in who gets to be crowned the Uruguayan Grand Champion (see below) for that calendar year and also decides who gets relegated.
Grand Champion: the winner of both the Apertura and Clausura play one another in a Semi Final*. The winner plays the team in 1st place of the overall table in a Grand Final. There are occurrences where either the Semi or Grand Final never happen, e.g. a Semi Final winner topping the overall table meaning no Grand Final OR a club winning both Apertura & Clausura AND heading up the overall table, meaning no Semi Final.
*There is even the rare possibility of a Position Playoff in either the Apertura and Clausura if two teams finish on the same points. This would be played prior to the Semi Final.
Relegation: Bottom 3 teams in the overall table go down.
Transfer windows & restrictions: (1) 11 June-20 July 2021 and (2) 01 January-02 February 2022. Note - Free Transfers are unlimited and can be signed any time. Maximum of five players on loan at any one time. Maximum of 6 foreign players.
Continental qualification: Copa Libertadores Group Stage (1st & 2nd), Copa Libertadores Qualifying (3rd & 4th) and Copa Sudamericana (5th, 6th, 7th & 8th). Note - from overall table.
Top players: Juan Ignacio Ramírez (Liverpool), Cristian Rodríguez & Jonathan Urretaviscaya (Peñarol).
Young starlets: Matías Arezo (River Plate), Gabriel Neves (Nacional) & Manuel Ugarte (Fénix).
Club recommendation: River Plate - The Argentine ‘River Plate’ across the Río de la Plata may get all the headlines, but Uruguay’s River Plate boasts arguably the country’s brightest prospect in Matías Arezo. Why not have some fun and see him rip up the Uruguayan league before he makes his big move abroad?
Continental Competitions
Juan Sebastián Verón & the Copa Libertadores.
Despite Sports Interactive taking away the 2020 calendar for most South American leagues…the 2020 Knockout Rounds of both the Copa Libertadores and Sudamericana will still be scheduled if you chose an Argentine League Start Date (for purposes of a 2020/21 season)…a decision I can’t quite fathom. This means that if you do choose an Argentine save and start date…be prepared for a surprise knockout match if you’re one of the bigger Argentine clubs. For the calendar based leagues mentioned above, the continental competitions will run from January to November. Specific details as follows:
Copa Libertadores - South America's most reputable trophy, which runs throughout the calendar year (January to November). 47 teams participate in three stages: Qualifying, Group Stage and Knockouts. Knockouts are two-legged home & away ties with away goals…until you get to the final, which is played as one tie at a neutral venue (TBA).
Winning the Copa Libertadores will mean you qualify for it once again. The winner will also enter the FIFA Club World Cup & the Recopa during the next calendar year (see below entry).
Copa Sudamericana - South America's second continental competition, which also runs throughout the calendar year (February to November). 44 teams enter in at various stages to a knockout competition. Games are two-legged home & away ties with away goals…until you get to the final, which is played as one tie at a neutral venue (TBA). The winner will qualify for the subsequent Copa Libertadores campaign and also enter the Recopa (see below).
Recopa Sudamericana - This is the South American Super Cup: winners of both the Libertadores and the Sudamericana face-off against one another over two legs home & away. Ties are usually played in the South American mid-Winter (May). If tied on aggregate, the away goals rule would not be used, and 30 minutes of extra time would be played. If still tied after extra time, a penalty shoot-out is used to determine the winner.
Although not as prestigious as the Copa Libertadores, clubs and fans will still place a great deal of importance on winning this trophy. In my opinion, the move towards neutral venues in both the Copa Libertadores and Sudamericana may also heighten the excitement for the annual Recopa tournaments. As it would give more fans the chance to once again see their clubs win continental honours live in their own stadium (something the Libertadores & Sudamericana have recently ditched).
As previously mentioned, I hope you found this guide useful. A special thanks to Fernando (@rocksendfm), who helped sense check this piece, and who also leads on the Club Guide that follows.
Thanks for reading,
FM Grasshopper