Ecuador. When speaking of 1988 championship, one has to keep in mind the 1989 season, when the top league was reduced to 12 teams. Seemingly, the decision for reduction was made either late in the 1988 season or after the end of it, for at first everything was normal: the top league championship was 2-phased as usual and the last in the opening phase was relegated. The winner of second level was naturally promoted. Aurora was last and relegated at the end of opening stage, still maintained in the records.
Delfin (Manta) won the second level – but was not promoted!
Not only Delfin was not in the top league the next season, but 5 other teams went down. The criteria is not clear, for their relegation was not by positions – very likely financial criteria or stadium requirements were used for the degrading of teams. None of the top 8 was affected, but those bellow: River Plate, Deportivo Quevedo, Esmeraldas Petrolero, Juventus, and Universidad Catolica.
Apart from that, the season went into its usual motions: the first phase was standard league formula, so every team played 34 games. The top 8 qualified to the second phase and the top 2 carried 1 bonus point to it.
America (Quito) was last with 21 points and relegated by the usual rules.
River Plate (Riobamba) – 17th with 25 points. Originally safe, but eventually relegated.
LDU (Portoviejo) – 16th with 27 points. Remained.
Juventus (Esmeraldas) – 15th with 27 points. Relegated.
Deportivo Quevedo (Quevedo) – 14th with 28 points. Relegated.
Audaz Octubrino (Machala) – 13th with 31 points. Remained.
Esmeraldas Petrolero (Esmeraldas) – 12th with 32 points. Relegated.
Deportivo Cuenca (Cuenca) – 11th with 33 points. Remained.
Aucas (Quito) 10th with 34 points. Remained.
Tecnico Univeristario (Ambato) – 9th with 34 points. Remained.
The upper 8 qualified to the next stage: El Nacional – 8th with 35 points, Filanbanco – 7th with 36 points, Universidad Catolica – 6th with 36 points, Deportivo Quito – 5th with 39 points, Barcelona – 4th with 40 points, Macara – 3rd with 41 points, Emelec – 2nd with 44 points.
LDU (Quito) won the first stage with 49 points – 20 wins, 9 ties, 5 losses, 64-36. Yet, the confident victory meant next to nothing: they earned 1 bonus point to carry to the next stage, the same as Emelec, which was left 5 points behind.
The Second stage had the top 8 divided into two groups of 4 and the winners going to the championship final.
Group 1:
Filanbanco (Milagro) – last with 3 points.
Macara (Ambato) – 3rd with 6 points.
LDU (Quito) – 2nd with 8 points (1 carried from first stage bonus point). 3 wins, 1 tie, 2 losses, 10-11.
Deportivo Quito – 1st with 8 points. Bested LDU on goal-difference: 2 wins, 4 ties, 0 losses 8-4.
Group 2:
Universidad Catolica (Quito) – last with 3 points. They were relegated at the end of the season – the highest placed team to suffer from the reduction of the league.
El Nacional (Quito) – 3rd with 6 points.
Barcelona (Guayaquil) – 2nd with 7 points.
Emelec – 1st with 9 points. 2 wins, 4 ties, 0 losses, 7-4 (plus 1 bonus point from the opening stage).
A Quito final: Emelec vs Deportivo. Emelec was stronger than their rivals during the season and did not lose focus at the final – they won the first leg 3-0 and kept a 1-1 tie in the second.
Deportivo Quito made a brave effort, but their opponents were classier.
Emelec (Quito) won confidently – they made the best of the championship formula, apparently saving strength in the grueling first phase and progressively increasing their form, reaching the peak when really mattered. It was sweet and important victory – their 6th title, but also first since 1979. Almost 10 years of waiting ended.