Ecuador. The usual complicated formula of 4 stages with bonus points carried over to the next stage, but the next season the top league was going to be enlarged to 18 teams, so only one was relegated and 3 teams promoted from the second level. This three were a mixed bag:
Aucas was returning to top flight.
River Plate (Riobamba) and
Deportivo Cotopaxi, practically unheard of club outside Ecuador, which never played top league football so far.
Standing from left: coach HÉCTOR SINCHIGUANO, JULIO REINA, CIRO GARCIA, JOSE VELEZ, LEONEL PEREZ ( Uuruguayan), JHON CAGUA, MANUEL CRIBAN, CANARIO MARTÍNEZ (Uruguayan), EDUARDO MAYA – president.
First row: cineciologist CESAR HARO, RAUL CAÑIZARES, MARIO MONTAÑO, DAVID TAPIA, VEGA. One can imagine the euphoria in the club and it’s fans, but how good they actually were would become clear in the next season. Of the three winners of the second level only Aucas was big enough club to be expected to play well in the First Division.