| Founded | 1971 |
|---|---|
| Country | Ecuador |
| Confederation | CONMEBOL |
| Number of teams | 10 |
| Level on pyramid | 2 |
| Promotion to | Serie A |
| Relegation to | Segunda Categoría |
| Current champions | Macará (5th title) (2023) |
| Most championships | Técnico Universitario (6 titles) |
| Website | Official webpage |
| Current: 2023 Serie B season | |
The Primera Categoría Serie B, shortened to Serie B or Primera B, is a professional football league in Ecuador. It is in the second tier of the Ecuadorian football league system. Currently contested by ten clubs, it operates a system of promotion and relegation with the top-flight Serie A and the bottom-level Segunda Categoría. The season runs from February to December in two stages. For sponsorship reasons, it is known as the LigaPro Banco Pichincha Pymes.
Serie B has been in place since 1971 and has been held on a yearly basis since (except 1973 and 1983–88), often holding two tournaments a year. The number of teams being promoted or relegated changed through the years because, like the Serie A, the format often changes on a seasonal basis. With the creation of LigaPro for the beginning of the 2019 season, the format consisted of two separate round robin stages. The top four teams with the most points after both stages were placed in a playoffs to determine the two teams who would earn promotion to Serie A the following season. Additionally, the two teams with the fewest points at the end of the season are relegated to the Segunda Categoría.
Thirty two different clubs have won the Serie B, but only twelve have won it multiple times. The most successful team and current champion is Técnico Universitario, who won their sixth title in 2017.
Current teams
There are currently ten teams in the 2023 Serie B.
| Club | City | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Macara | Ambato | Bellavista | 38,258 |
| Imbabura | Salinas | Christian Benítez | 10,150 |
| Cuniburo | Santo Domingo | Olímpico (Santo Domingo) | 10,172 |
| Manta FC | Pelileo | Ciudad de Pelileo | 8,000 |
| Independiente Juniors | Sangolqui | Rumiñahui | 12,000 |
| 9 de Octubre | Guayaquil | Olímpico Atahualpa | 38,258 |
| Vargas Torres | Esmaraldes | Olímpico Atahualpa | 38,258 |
| Chacaritas | Riobamba | Gerardo León Pozo | 3,171 |
| America de Quito | Quito | Reales Tamarindos | 21,000 |
| Buhos ULVR | Guayaquil | Modelo Alberto Spencer Herrera | 42,000 |
List of champions
Titles by club
| Club | Titles | Seasons won |
|---|---|---|
| Técnico Universitario | 6 | 1977 E2, 1981 E2, 1999, 2002, 2011, 2017 |
| LDU Portoviejo | 5 | 1972 E1, 1976 E2, 1980 E2, 1992 E1, 2000 |
| Macará | 5 | 1971, 1998, 2005 C, 2016, 2023 |
| Aucas | 3 | 1974 E2, 1991 E2, 2014 |
| Olmedo | 3 | 1994, 2003, 2013 |
| Quevedo | 3 | 1982 E1, 1996, 2004 |
| Universidad Católica | 3 | 1990 E1, 2007, 2012 |
| ESPOLI | 2 | 1993, 2005 A |
| Delfín | 2 | 1989 E1, 2015 |
| Deportivo Cuenca | 2 | 1972 E2, 1995 |
| El Nacional | 2 | 1979 E2, 2022 |
| LDU Quito | 2 | 1974 E1, 2001 |
| Manta Sport | 2 | 1979 E1, 1982 E2 |
| 9 de Octubre | 1 | 2020 |
| América de Quito | 1 | 1978 E2 |
| Audaz Octubrino | 1 | 1975 |
| Bonita Banana | 1 | 1978 E1, 1976 E1 |
| Cumbayá | 1 | 2021 |
| Deportivo Azogues | 1 | 2006 E1 |
| Deportivo Quito | 1 | 1980 E1 |
| Emelec | 1 | 1981 E1 |
| Green Cross | 1 | 1991 E1 |
| Imbabura | 1 | 2006 E2 |
| Independiente del Valle | 1 | 2009 |
| Juvenil | 1 | 1990 E2 |
| Juventus | 1 | 1989 E2 |
| LDU Cuenca | 1 | 1977 E1 |
| LDU Loja | 1 | 2010 |
| Manta | 1 | 2008 |
| Mushuc Runa | 1 | 2018 |
| Orense | 1 | 2019 |
| Panamá | 1 | 1997 |
| Santos | 1 | 1992 E2 |
Titles by city
| City | Nº of titles | Clubs |
|---|---|---|
| Quito | 14 | Aucas (3), Universidad Católica (3), El Nacional (2), ESPOLI (2), LDU Quito (2), América de Quito (1), Deportivo Quito (1) |
| Ambato | 12 | Técnico Universitario (6), Macará (5), Mushuc Runa (1) |
| Manta | 6 | Manta Sport (2), Delfín (2), Green Cross (1), Manta FC (1) |
| Portoviejo | 5 | LDU Portoviejo (5) |
| Cuenca | 3 | Deportivo Cuenca (2), LDU Cuenca (1) |
| Guayaquil | 3 | 9 de Octubre (1), Emelec (1), Panamá (1) |
| Machala | 3 | Audaz Octubrino (1), Bonita Banana (1), Orense (1) |
| Riobamba | 3 | Olmedo (3) |
| Esmeraldas | 2 | Juvenil (1), Juventus (1) |
| Azogues | 1 | Deportivo Azogues (1) |
| Cumbayá | 1 | Cumbayá (1) |
| El Guabo | 1 | Santos (1) |
| Ibarra | 1 | Imbabura (1) |
| Loja | 1 | LDU Loja (1) |
| Pasaje | 1 | Carmen Mora (1) |
| Quevedo | 1 | Deportivo Quevedo (1) |
| Sangolquí | 1 | Independiente del Valle (1) |
References
External links
- Official webpage (in Spanish)
- Serie B summary(SOCCERWAY)
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