The Guayas Football Association witnessed in this disastrous 2023 the relegation of Guayaquil City to Serie B, the relegation of Búhos ULVR to the second division, Emelec’s worst campaign in the history of the national championship and the lost battles of Barcelona SC to win one of the two stages of the tournament. The once powerful football team of Buenos Aires was saddened by the poor level and institutional problems of its clubs.

Nothing can be salvaged in Albiceleste football after a season to forget, despite declarations in the form of consolation prizes by several Canarian players and managers, “pleased” to have qualified for the group stage of the Copa Libertadores 2024. It did not improve the Toreadors that they achieved this thanks to the fact that the Quito league opened up another spot for the country after winning the Copa Sudamericana in the individual final last October.

The Pro League finals in 2023 again featured at least one player from the capital, as has happened six times since 2018. And in four of those six times, the Olympic rounds were led by players from the capital (Quito League 2018 and 2023; Independiente del Valle , 2021; Aucas, 2022).

Quito, with unprecedented monarchs

In addition, two representatives of the Pichincha Non-Amateur Football Association (AFNA) achieved the first national stars in their histories: the young Independiente and the old Aucas, who achieved it precisely at the expense of the Astillero team.

As has not happened since 1999, in 2023 two teams from the capital of the Republic sought consecration. This, before the final was decided in favor of Liga de Quito (winner on penalties) or Independiente del Valle, foreordained the loss of Guayas’ hegemony as the entity with the most championships won in Ecuador.

As of this Sunday, the Albos are monarchs for the twelfth time, and thus the advantage in the race between the two powerhouses of Ecuadorian football belongs to Pichincha. AFNA has 32 stars, distributed among five teams: El Nacional (thirteen titles), Liga de Quito (twelve), Deportivo Quito (five), Independiente and Aucas (one each).

Send AFNA

It is still notable that Guayas, with fewer crowned teams, only three, has 31 awards (Barcelona SC, 16; Emelec, fourteen; Everest, one), but as of this Sunday night, AFNA rules Asoguayas.

Finally, in series A and B, for 2024, no staff from Guayaquil was promoted, where administrative disturbances, multimillion-dollar debts, turbulent presidential elections, presentations of requests for protection before ordinary justice, financial problems and leadership struggles are recurring negative factors.

Meanwhile, Quito is smiling. At the beginning of this year, Independiente took over the Cup Winners’ Cup, Liga took over the Copa Sudamericana, and 2024 will begin with a fight against Fluminense, for the Cup Winners’ Cup. (D)