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The Argentine league is currently ranked among the top 5 in the world by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics . It is one of the most prolific sources of players for the world's other top leagues such as La Liga ( Spain ), Serie A ( Italy ), and the Bundesliga ( Germany ). THE LEAGUE TOURNAMENT The 20 teams play two single-round tournaments each year: the Clausura (February to June), and the Apertura (August to December). Thus, there are two champions each season. Unlike most European countries, Argentina has no official Cup competition. The names of the tournaments (''Closing'' and ''Opening'', respectively) reflect Northern Hemisphere Sports Seasons . This scheme was introduced in the 1980s, and is alien to Argentines - who live in the Southern Hemisphere and are used to sports seasons that span a single calendar year (for example 2004, as opposed to 2004/05). RELEGATION AND PROMOTION Relegation is based on an Averaging system. At the end of each season, the two teams with the worst three-year averages are relegated, and the best two teams in the Second Division are promoted. The teams placed 17th and 18th in the averages table play a best-of-three playoff (called "promoción") with the 4th and 3rd second division teams, respectively. Thus, the number of teams promoted each year varies between two and four. Newly-promoted teams only average the seasons since their last promotion. It is commonly believed that averaging was instituted in the 1980s to minimize the chance of large clubs being relegated, after San Lorenzo De Almagro was relegated in 1981 , Racing Club was teetering on the brink, and Boca Juniors had a dismal 1984 season. HISTORY Professionalism was instituted in 1931 . In the early years, only teams from Buenos Aires , Greater Buenos Aires (notably Avellaneda ) and La Plata were affiliated to the national association. Teams from Rosario and Santa Fé joined in later years. A single tournament was played each year, and the team with the most points was crowned as champion. This arrangement lasted until 1966 (in 1936 only, the winners of ''Copa de Honor'' and the ''Campeonato'' played a match for the championship title). Starting in 1967 , two championships were played each year: the ''Metropolitano'', with the same structure as the old tournament, and the ''Nacional'', which was open to teams from the provinces. This change brought about a revolution in Argentine football, as small teams (first Estudiantes , then Vélez Sársfield , Chacarita and others) broke down the hegemony of the five clubs who had won all the championships up to that date. Originally, the ''Nacional'' was a regular one-group championship, from which the six best teams would advance to the ''Metropolitano''. In 1970 the tournaments were separated; the ''Metropolitano'' had its own qualifying groups, and the ''Nacional'' two groups and play-offs. In 1977 the ''Metropolitano'' became a one-group, two-round league championship. The ''Metropolitano'' was always played first, until the order of the tournaments was reversed in 1983 . Following the advice of Argentina National Football Team 's then coach Carlos Salvador Bilardo , the structure of play was modified in 1985 . That year, after the ''Nacional'' was played, the new single tournament (1985/86) was played for the first time. Five years later, it was split into two single-round tournaments, giving birth to the current arrangement. In 1991 the two champions played winner-take-all matches. This practice was very controversial, especially since one of the biggest teams Boca Juniors lost the finals against Newell's Old Boys after an unbeaten run in the ''Clausura''. In 1992 the game was held as well (This time between Newell's Old Boys and River Plate , but regardless of the result (which in the end favored Newell's Old Boys again) both teams were awarded the title of ''Champion''. After 1992, the practice was quickly abandoned, so that two champions (on equal footing) are crowned every season and no deciding game is played. Even though the current structure provides provincial teams a road to promotion, the dominance of Boca Juniors and River Plate has only increased since the mid-90s. Only one team from outside the Buenos Aires-Rosario axis has ever won a title ( Estudiantes LP , 3 times), and a reversal of this trend is not likely to occur in the foreseeable future. International Competition Traditionally, two teams from Argentina have played in the Copa Libertadores each year. Since 1987 , CONMEBOL sponsors other competitions (first the now-extinct Supercopa , Copa CONMEBOL , Copa Mercosur ), all replaced by actual Copa Sudamericana , and the number of Argentine teams playing the Libertadores has gone up to five. Thus, at least five teams have an international schedule in addition to their league compromises. The Copa Libertadores remains the most prestigious competition in South America; Independiente has a record seven wins, followed by Boca with five, Estudiantes with three, River Plate with two, and Racing Club, Argentinos Juniors and Vélez Sársfield with one apiece. Champions of Argentine Football Top-Three Finishes RECORDS
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