At least from what the teams have shown in the three Pro League championship dates, and if you consider that they have had four months of pre-season, the level of competition we are observing is very low. At the Ecuadorian series B tournaments from ten to twelve years ago, the football level displayed by the clubs in that category was higher than it is now.

Everything we see so far, in the 2023 competition, is far below the expectations we had. Emelec, Barcelona SC, Liga de Quito, Universidad Católica and current champion Aucas, as well as the rest of the teams, including some who are not candidates, are far below what is expected of teams participating in the first division. .

It is worrying that there are so many teams that are not competitive and others that are not adequately reinforced. For example, on Monday, Cumbayá FC, made up of some forgotten players, was the protagonist against Deportivo Cuenca and even caused them problems (in the end they from Pichincha lost 1-0).

If the level of the Pro League tournament wasn’t low, the recently promoted Libertad would have no way to embarrass their storied rivals or other title contenders. Aside from these questions is Independiente del Valle, which has proven to be a very competitive team.

In the 2023 edition of the Pro League, the axiom that increasing the quota to eight foreigners for each team would raise the quality of the championship was not fulfilled. Manta Dolphin connects only three Ecuadorians and eight foreigners who are nothing special. Among the foreigners from all the clubs in the country, hardly anyone fulfills the role of reinforcement.

What was said to justify the increase of foreigners is an excuse: that their salaries are lower than those received by local football players and that this – the massive arrival of elements from abroad – would be to the benefit of the clubs. Instead, young people who might have a higher level of game than a few foreigners are marginalized.

So far, the 2023 Pro League tournament has fallen far short of the expectations it created. (OR)