Asociación_Paraguaya_de_Fútbol
Paraguayan Football Association
Governing body of association football in Paraguay
The Paraguayan Football Association (Spanish: Asociación Paraguaya de Futbol [asosjaˈsjom paɾaˈɣwaʝa ðe ˈfuðβol]; APF) (Guarani: Paraguái Mangapy Atyguasu), is the omnibus governing body of football in Paraguay.[2] It organizes the Paraguayan football league, including futsal and beach soccer, as well as and the Paraguay national football team. It is based in the city of Luque, near the capital city, Asunción. Football is the most popular sport in Paraguay.[2]
| CONMEBOL | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1906; 118 years ago (1906) |
| Headquarters | Luque |
| Location | 1 Medallistas Olímpicos, Parque Olímpico, Luque |
| FIFA affiliation | 1925 |
| CONMEBOL affiliation | 1921 |
| President | Robert Harrison[1] |
| General Secretary | Luis Kanonnikoff |
| Website | apf.org.py |
In the late 1890s William Paats brought soccer to Paraguay, when it was then played at an Asunción teacher's college. Escuela Normal de Maestros.[2][3]
In 1906, five existing Paraguayan football teams (Olimpia, Guaraní, Libertad, General Díaz, and Nacional) created the governing body of football in Paraguay, the Paraguayan Football League.[2] In 1998 it adopted its current name.[2] On June 18, 1906,[4] the representatives of the five existing football teams in Paraguay at that time (Olimpia, Guaraní, Libertad, General Díaz, and Nacional) met to establish the Paraguayan Football League, named Liga Paraguaya de Football Association.[5] The first match was played on a Sunday, July 8, 1906.[6] Adolfo Riquelme, who was a well known Paraguayan journalist, was the organization's first president.[2]
In 1921, during the presidency of Enrique Pinho, the Paraguayan Football League joined the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL).[7] In 1925 it became a member of FIFA.[2][8][3]
In 1941 it changed its name to Liga Paraguaya de Football and in 1957 the name was Hispanicized as Liga Paraguaya de Fútbol.[9]
On December 3, 1998, its name was changed to its current denomination, Asociación Paraguaya de Fútbol,[2][5] which coincidentally is one of the names that had been adopted by a dissident football association that brought together some teams, which would later join the League, and which organized championships between 1911 and 1917.[4]
In 2016, APF appointed Robert Harrison, the former head of Club Nacional, as president.[10] Harrison succeeded Alejandro Domínguez, who resigned to run for president of CONMEBOL, after Juan Ángel Napout stepped down from that role in December 2015.[10]
In 2019, APF hired Argentinian Eduardo Berizzo as manager of Paraguay's national men's team.[11]
Paraguay have not previously hosted the FIFA World Cup. In August 2022, APF joined up with the football associations of Argentina, Uruguay and Chile to jointly bid to host the World Cup in 2030.[12][13]
From its foundation in 1906 until it adopted its final name in 1998, the APF followed the following institutional trajectory::
| Affiliation to the Conmebol: 1921[16] |
|---|
| The Paraguayan Football League becomes a member of the South American Football Confederation, during the presidency of Enrique Pinho. |
| Affiliation to FIFA: 1925 |
|---|
| The LPF joins the Member Associations of the International Federation of Association Football. |
| Change of name: 1941 |
|---|
| Paraguayan Football League
LPF |
| Castellanisation: 1957 |
|---|
| Paraguayan Football League
LPF |
| Change of name: December 1998 |
|---|
| Paraguayan Football Association
APF |
- Copa América champions — 1953, 1979[2]
- Olympic Games silver medal (Athens 2004)[2]
- FIFA World Cup 8 participations — 1930, 1950, 1958, 1986, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010[2]
The Paraguay national team appeared in the World Cup finals eight times, reaching the quarter-finals in the world FIFA event in South Africa (2010), losing to the eventual tournament victor, a Spanish team.[2]
The Club Olimpia has been indomitable: 38 Paraguayan championship titles; 3 in the Copa Libertadores — the continental South American soccer tournament (1979, 1990, 2002); and Intercontinental cup.[2]
Presidents[17]
Liga Paraguaya de Football Association
| Name | Period |
|---|---|
| Dr. Adolfo Riquelme | 1906–1908 |
| Dr. Eusebio Ayala | 1908–1909 |
| Don William Paats | 1909–1910 |
| Don Emilio Mantera | 1910–1910 |
| Don Junio Quinto Godoi | 1910–1911 |
| Don Alejandro Gatti | 1911–1913 |
| Dr. Enrique L. Pinho | 1913–1923 |
| Dr. Juan Manuel Álvarez | 1923–1924 |
| Dr. Esteban Semidei | 1924–1926 |
| Prof. Dr. Adriano Irala | 1926–1928 |
| Don Manuel Bedoya | 1928–1931 |
| Don Juan Pablo Gorostiaga | 1931–1932 |
| Dr. Ignacio L. Parra | 1932–1932 |
| Dr. Francisco Esculies | 1935–1936 |
| Don Ramón T. Cartes | 1936–1937 |
| Don Manuel Galiano | 1937–1938 |
| Dr. Juan Arturo Lavigne | 1939–1940 |
| Cnel. Sampson Harrison | 1940–1940 |
Liga Paraguaya de Football
| Name | Period |
|---|---|
| Dr. Manuel Bedoya | 1941–1941 |
| Dr. Julio César Airaldi | 1942–1944 |
| Dr. Crispín Insaurralde | 1944–1945 |
| Don Fulgencio R. Moreno | 1945–1946 |
| Don Oscar Pinho Insfrán | 1946–1947 |
| Dr. Lorenzo N. Livieres | 1947–1948 |
| Clte. Ramón Martino | 1948–1948 |
| Dr. Blas A. Dos Santos | 1948–1950 |
| Don Lidio Quevedo | 1950–1951 |
| Dr. Blas A. Dos Santos | 1951–1952 |
| Dr. Alfonso Capurro | 1952–1954 |
| Don Lidio Quevedo | 1954–1955 |
| Dr. Raimundo Paniagua | 1955–1956 |
| Dr. Alfonso Capurro | 1956–1957 |
Liga Paraguaya de Fútbol
| Name | Period |
|---|---|
| Dr. Pedro Recalde | 1957–1957 |
| Dr. Ernesto Gavilán | 1958–1959 |
| Dr. Hassel Aguilar Sosa | 1959–1960 |
| Dr. Tulio Manuel Quiroz | 1960–1961 |
| Dr. Manuel Duarte Pallarés | 1961–1963 |
| Dr. Anastacio Mendoza Sánchez | 1963–1965 |
| Dr. Jerónimo Angulo Gastón | 1965–1967 |
| Cnel. Raúl Fernández | 1967–1968 |
| Don Juan Antonio Sosa Gautier | 1969–1970 |
| Dr. Nicolás Leoz | 1971–1972 |
| Don Humberto Domínguez Dibb | 1973–1976 |
| Don Oscar Barchini | 1977–1979 |
| Dr. Nicolás Leoz | 1979–1984 |
| Don Jesús Manuel Pallarés | 1985–1994 |
| Esc. Oscar J. Harrison | 1994–1998 |
Asociación Paraguaya de Fútbol
| Name | Period |
|---|---|
| Esc. Oscar J. Harrison | 1998–2007 |
| Lic. Juan Ángel Napout | 2007–2014 |
| Lic. Alejandro Domínguez | 2014–2016 |
| Lic. Ramón González Daher | 2016 |
| Lic. Robert Harrison | 2016–Present |
Association staff (2022)[18]
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
 Robert Harrison |
President |
| Carlos Sosa |
Vice President |
| Javier Díaz de Vivar |
2nd Vice President |
| Luis Kanonnikoff |
General Secretary |
| Hugo Kuroki |
Treasurer |
| Douglas Martínez |
Technical Director |
 Daniel Garnero |
Team Coach (Men's) |
 Carlos Bona |
Team Coach (Women's) |
| Fernando Ortiz |
Media/Communications Manager |
| Jose Luis Alder |
Futsal Coordinator |
| Cynthia Franco
|
Referee Coordinator |
The football in Paraguay has four levels in men's tournaments (five in the interior of the country) and one division in women's tournaments.[19] The Paraguayan Football Association with an affiliated association called the Interior Football Union (UFI) -which consists of 17 federations, one for each department of the country, excluding the city of Asunción-, organizes the different championships.[20]
The most popular football teams in Paraguay are Olimpia,[3] Cerro Porteño, Guaraní, Libertad and Nacional. All of them are from Asunción.[21]
The Supercopa Paraguay is a national cup played since 2021.[22] It is single match, on a neutral field that faces the champion of Primera División and the champion of Copa Paraguay, a competition created in 2018 with teams of all categories, including the federations that belong to UFI.[23]
There is also a category for the reserve of the football teams called Categoría Reserva[24] and then the formative divisions from 14 to 19 years.[25] The women's division also has a U-18 category.[26]
Regarding futsal, it is organized in four categories: a premium league, the Honor Category, Primera and Intermedia.[27][28] There is also a category for women.[29]
The APF also organizes two beach soccer championships, the Tournament of Stars[30] and the Women's Beach Soccer Tournament.[31]
The freedom of players to be contractually released and transfer between clubs and negotiate contracts (commonly called a "buyout clause") has been controversial, and subject to both scholarly inquiry and legal proceedings.[32][33][34][35]
- 2022 Copa Paraguay
- Copa Paraguay
- Paraguayan Primera División
- Paraguay national football team
- Football in Paraguay
- Paraguayan Footballer of the Year
- Paraguay women's national football team
- Paraguayan Tercera División
- Sport in Paraguay
- Estadio Defensores del Chaco
- 2019 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup
- Juan Ángel Napout
- Juan Escobar (Paraguayan footballer)
- Paraguay women's national under-20 football team
- "El Presidente | A.P.F. | Asociación Paraguaya de Futbol". Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
- Dunmore, Tom (16 September 2011). Historical Dictionary of Soccer. Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Incorporated, Scarecrow Press. pp. 56. 191, 196. ISBN 9780810871885. Archived from the original on 1 August 2023. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - Lewis, Rhett (28 September 2021). "Club Olimpia: Paraguay's Most Successful Soccer Club". History Of Soccer. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
- Karel, Stokkermans. "Paraguay – League History 1906-1964". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 13 March 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
- "Suplemento 116 Años de la APF by Asociación Paraguaya de Fútbol". issuu.com (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
- "Una historia de 114 años: El primer partido oficial del fútbol paraguayo". Versus (in Spanish). 9 July 2020. Archived from the original on 11 October 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
- "Un símbolo del fútbol paraguayo cumple cien años". OneFootball (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 8 October 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
- "Planet World Cup - Nations - Paraguay". www.planetworldcup.com. Archived from the original on 30 January 2006. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
- "Aniversario de la APF". ABC Color (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
- "Robert Harrison, nuevo presidente del fútbol paraguayo". Associated Press (in Spanish). 26 April 2016. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
- "Paraguay name Berizzo as national soccer team coach". Xinhua News Agency. 18 February 2019. Archived from the original on 1 August 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2022 – via Gale OneFile.
- "Ukraine join Spain and Portugal's joint-bid to host the 2030 World Cup, but who else is in the running?". Sky Sports. Archived from the original on 30 October 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
- "Together for the «South American dream» of the 2030 World Cup". Conmebol. Archived from the original on 30 October 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
- "Celebran 115 años de fundación de la Asociación Paraguaya de Fútbol". Mayoría (in Spanish). 18 June 2021. Archived from the original on 30 June 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
- "El frenesí por el football se expandía - Deportes - ABC Color". www.abc.com.py (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 31 January 2023. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
- "La Asociación celebra 110 años de pasión por el fútbol". d10.ultimahora.com (in European Spanish). Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
- "Historia de la APF". Asociación Paraguaya de Fútbol (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 14 May 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
- "Paraguayan Football Association - FIFA". www.fifa.com. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
- "Un club de mujeres indígenas se incorpora a la liga del fútbol femenino en Paraguay". France 24. 19 January 2022. Archived from the original on 11 October 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
- Béstard, Miguel Ángel. "80 años de Fútbol en Paraguay". Portal Guarani (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
- "¿Es Olimpia el club con más hinchas de Paraguay?". Goal.com. Archived from the original on 8 October 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
- "Se viene la Supercopa del fútbol paraguayo". Diario HOY (in Spanish). 15 January 2021. Archived from the original on 8 October 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
- "La Copa Paraguay ya tiene formato". extra.com.py (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 8 October 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
- "Cambio de timón en la cima de Reserva". ABC Color (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 5 December 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
- "Vuelven las Divisiones Formativas". d10.ultimahora.com (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
- "Cerro y Sol, líderes en la Sub 18 de Femenino". ABC Color (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 11 October 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
- "Cerro Porteño y Olimpia, la definición de la Liga Premium". ABC Color (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 8 October 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
- "En marcha el torneo de Honor de futsal". d10.ultimahora.com (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 8 October 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
- "Fútbol Femenino en Paraguay: avanza el Torneo Apertura con ejes en la profesionalización y la igualdad de derechos". NEA HOY (in Spanish). 10 May 2022. Archived from the original on 8 October 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
- "Torneo de las Estrellas de Fútbol Playa". ABC Color (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 8 October 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
- "Areguá, campeón femenino en fútbol playa". ABC Color (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 11 October 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
- Hylton, J. Gordon (2017). "How FIFA Used the Principle of Autonomy of Sport to Shield Corruption in the Sepp Blatter Era". Md. J. Int'l L. 32: 134. Archived from the original on 31 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022 – via heinonline.org.
Of course, unlike the case in Greece earlier ... [in 2016 - 2017], FIFA had not threatened to suspend the Paraguayan Football Association ...
- "Article 19 RSTP, a Right Step in the Transfer Policy Jurisprudence". 1 J. For Sports L. Pol'y & Governance. 12. 2018–2019. Archived from the original on 31 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022 – via heinonline.org.
- Antonio, Miguel; Zunini, Laterza. "El "Caso Pitta" y la (in)ejecutabilidad automática de las "cláusulas de rescisión" en el fútbol paraguayo" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 31 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
With the current regulations of the Paraguayan Football Association (APF) it is impossible the automatic execution of the compensatory clauses due to anticipated contractual breakdown (buy-out clauses), because with the simple opposition of the employer club, the exit operation of a player it is extended in time and is subject to the decision of a judge outside the parties. Therefore, this work will attempt to demonstrate the imperative need to have aspecific federative regulation to implement a summary administrative procedure to materialize the automatic release of players who are in a position to execute clauses of this type.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - Kfouri, ByJuca; de São Paulo, Folha (2016). "7: Impunity and corruption in South American football governance". Global Corruption (eBook) (1st, Imprint ed.). Routledge. doi:10.4324/9781315695709-16. ISBN 9781315695709. Archived from the original on 31 October 2022. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
- Callary, Bettina; Gearity, Brian (2019). "Voices From the Field: Q&A With Coach Developers Around the World". International Sport Coaching Journal. 6 (3): 366–369. doi:10.1123/iscj.2019-0070. S2CID 204633721.
- Campomar, Andreas (May 2014). Golazo!: The Beautiful Game from the Aztecs to the World Cup: The Complete History of How Soccer Shaped Latin America (E-book). Penguin books.
- Official website
- Paraguay – FIFA profile (archived 2 June 2007)