The determination of which club will drop into the Second Division from the competition’s top tier hinges on a decisive match involving the two penultimate clubs from each geographic zone. This final stage marks the last step in deciding the fate of three teams relegated at the end of the season under the revamped First National format.
After a two-year period in which relegations were put on hold across Argentine football by the leadership, 2023 brought a return to the standard practice of relegation in all divisions. For the First National, the decision was to relegated three teams by season’s end. Yet the season would unfold with a novel structure: two separate geographic zones operating in parallel, which required a creative approach to determine which clubs would be sent down. This setup demanded a plan that could fairly allocate relegation slots while respecting the distinct dynamics of each zone.
All details of the Reduced First National 2023
The final arrangements established that two relegations would be assigned to the last-placed club in each zone, while the remaining relegation spot would be decided through a promotion match between the two penultimate teams. This decisive contest would be played at a neutral venue. If the scoreline was level after regular time, the game would proceed to two extra periods of 15 minutes each. Should there still be no winner, the result would be determined by a series of penalties.
WHICH TEAMS WILL PLAY THE PROMOTION IN THE FIRST NATIONAL 2023
On the field, Tristan Suárez emerged as the first club with a target on survival, finishing as the penultimate team in Zone B. To determine its opponent, fans would have to wait for the tiebreaker between San Telmo and Almagro. The two teams had shared the penultimate position in Zone A on the final matchday, as Candombero’s victory and Tricolor’s defeat dictated the standings. Regulation unique to this season prevents a decision based on goal difference; as a result, the two clubs in the second-to-last spot in Zone A met on the pitch to decide who would advance to the promotion clash and who would face Lechero in the relegation pressure.
WHEN AND WHERE THE PROMOTION OF THE FIRST NATIONAL 2023 WILL BE PLAYED
The promotion decider would take place after the tiebreak results, with both the date and the venue set to be confirmed by the Argentinian Football Association. Since all three involved teams come from the AMBA region, the match would certainly occur within the Buenos Aires metropolitan area, either in the city itself or in Greater Buenos Aires. The neutral ground was chosen to ensure fairness and to accommodate the passion of fans who follow every twist in this campaign. This structure aims to balance competitive integrity with regional constraints, delivering a high-stakes finale that could shape the composition of the First National for the next season.