1971 Argentine Primera División
# 1971 Argentine Primera División

The 1971 Primera División season was the 80th season of top-flight football in Argentina. The Campeonato Metropolitano championship was modified, returning to a double round-robin format, and four relegations. Nevertheless, the AFA interventor, Raúl D'Onofrio (the 4th interventor since the military dictatorship led by Juan Carlos Onganía removed Valentín Suárez from the Association), reduced the number of relegated teams to two.

The entire season ran from 5 March to 29 December. As champion of 1970 Primera B, Ferro Carril Oeste promoted to Primera División. Independiente (10th title) won the Metropolitano and Rosario Central (coached by Ángel Labruna, not only won the 1st league title for the club but the first for a team outside Buenos Aires) won the Nacional championship. Moreover, both clubs qualified for the 1972 Copa Libertadores (in the case of Independiente, after winning the first "Liguilla pre-Libertadores" edition v San Lorenzo).

Los Andes and Platense were relegated.

## Metropolitano Championship

### Final standings

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Independiente | 36 | 20 | 10 | 6 | 57 | 26 | +31 | 50 |
| 2 | Vélez Sársfield | 36 | 20 | 9 | 7 | 77 | 42 | +35 | 49 |
| 3 | Chacarita Juniors | 36 | 17 | 12 | 7 | 49 | 35 | +14 | 46 |
| 4 | Newell's Old Boys | 36 | 18 | 8 | 10 | 74 | 47 | +27 | 44 |
| 4 | San Lorenzo | 36 | 18 | 8 | 10 | 75 | 52 | +23 | 44 |
| 6 | River Plate | 36 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 60 | 52 | +8 | 39 |
| 7 | Ferro Carril Oeste | 36 | 15 | 8 | 13 | 49 | 49 | 0 | 38 |
| 8 | Boca Juniors | 36 | 16 | 4 | 16 | 59 | 52 | +7 | 36 |
| 9 | Huracán | 36 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 46 | 54 | −8 | 35 |
| 10 | Rosario Central | 36 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 48 | 51 | −3 | 34 |
| 10 | Racing | 36 | 10 | 14 | 12 | 56 | 64 | −8 | 34 |
| 10 | Gimnasia y Esgrima (LP) | 36 | 10 | 14 | 12 | 51 | 62 | −11 | 34 |
| 13 | Estudiantes (LP) | 36 | 11 | 10 | 15 | 41 | 55 | −14 | 32 |
| 14 | Colón | 36 | 10 | 11 | 15 | 58 | 73 | −15 | 31 |
| 15 | Atlanta | 36 | 11 | 8 | 17 | 45 | 57 | −12 | 30 |
| 16 | Argentinos Juniors | 36 | 9 | 11 | 16 | 43 | 56 | −13 | 29 |
| 16 | Banfield | 36 | 6 | 17 | 13 | 36 | 54 | −18 | 29 |
| 18 | Los Andes | 36 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 38 | 57 | −19 | 27 |
| 19 | Platense | 36 | 6 | 11 | 19 | 42 | 66 | −24 | 23 |

### Top scorers

| Rank. | Player | Team | Goals |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Carlos Bianchi | Vélez Sarsfield | 36 |
| 2 | Alfredo Obberti | Newell's Old Boys | 28 |
| 3 | Rodolfo Fischer | San Lorenzo | 20 |
| 4 | Roberto Cabral | Platense | 18 |
| 5 | Oscar Más | River Plate | 16 |

## Nacional Championship

### Group A

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Independiente | 14 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 31 | 13 | +18 | 24 | Semifinals |
| 2 | Newell's Old Boys | 14 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 37 | 10 | +27 | 23 | Semifinals |
| 3 | Belgrano | 14 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 28 | 13 | +15 | 21 | |
| 4 | River Plate | 14 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 26 | 13 | +13 | 21 | |
| 5 | Argentinos Juniors | 14 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 22 | 22 | 0 | 15 | |
| 6 | Ferro Carril Oeste | 14 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 22 | 20 | +2 | 14 | |
| 7 | Banfield | 14 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 23 | 22 | +1 | 13 | |
| 8 | Kimberley | 14 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 22 | 21 | +1 | 13 | |
| 9 | San Martín (M) | 14 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 20 | 20 | 0 | 12 | |
| 10 | Gimnasia y Esgrima (LP) | 14 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 22 | 30 | −8 | 9 | |
| 11 | Huracán | 14 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 19 | 27 | −8 | 9 | |
| 12 | Juventud Antoniana | 14 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 23 | 30 | −7 | 8 | |
| 13 | Don Orione | 14 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 16 | 34 | −18 | 8 | |
| 14 | Huracán (CR) | 14 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 11 | 55 | −44 | 3 | |

### Group B

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Rosario Central | 14 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 27 | 13 | +14 | 21 | Semifinals |
| 2 | San Lorenzo | 14 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 37 | 19 | +18 | 20 | Semifinals |
| 3 | Boca Juniors | 14 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 34 | 17 | +17 | 20 | |
| 4 | Gimnasia y Esgrima (M) | 14 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 28 | 21 | +7 | 19 | |
| 5 | Atlanta | 14 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 25 | 17 | +8 | 16 | |
| 6 | Vélez Sársfield | 14 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 21 | 20 | +1 | 16 | |
| 7 | Estudiantes (LP) | 14 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 22 | 19 | +3 | 12 | |
| 8 | Racing | 14 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 20 | 21 | −1 | 12 | |
| 9 | Chacarita Juniors | 14 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 16 | 20 | −4 | 12 | |
| 10 | Colón | 14 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 21 | 26 | −5 | 12 | |
| 11 | San Martín (T) | 14 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 22 | 30 | −8 | 12 | |
| 12 | Guaraní Antonio Franco | 14 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 18 | 26 | −8 | 10 | |
| 13 | Central Córdoba (SdE) | 14 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 17 | 33 | −16 | 9 | |
| 14 | Huracán (IW) | 14 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 25 | −18 | 8 | |

### Semifinals

Played in neutral venue:

| Date | Team 1 | Res. | Team 2 | Venue | City |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 18 Dec | Independiente | 2–2 (9–8, p) | San Lorenzo | River Plate | Buenos Aires |
| 19 Dec | Rosario Central | 1–0 | Newell's Old Boys | River Plate | Buenos Aires |

### Final

| Date | Team 1 | Res. | Team 2 | Venue | City |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 22 Dec | Rosario Central | 2–1 | San Lorenzo | Newell's O.B. | Rosario |

**Match details**

| Rosario Central | San Lorenzo |
| - | - |
| GK | 1 | Norberto Menutti |
| DF | 4 | José González |
| DF | 2 | Aurelio Pascuttini |
| DF | 6 | Alberto Fanessi |
| DF | 3 | Mario Killer |
| MF | 8 | Carlos Aimar |
| MF | 5 | Ángel Landucci |
| MF | 10 | Carlos Colman |
| FW | 7 | Ramón Bóveda | 70' |
| FW | 9 | Aldo Poy |
| FW | 11 | Roberto Gramajo |
| Substitutes: ||
| MF | | Miguel Bustos | 70' |
| Manager: ||
| Ángel Labruna ||
| GK | 1 | Agustín Irusta |
| DF | 4 | Rubén Glaría |
| DF | 2 | Ricardo Rezza |
| DF | 6 | Ramón Heredia |
| DF | 3 | Antonio Rosl |
| MF | 8 | Enrique Chazarreta |
| MF | 5 | Roberto Telch |
| MF | 10 | Antonio G. Ameijenda |
| FW | 7 | Héctor Scotta |
| FW | 9 | Rodolfo Fischer | 74' |
| FW | 11 | Rubén Ayala |
| Substitutes: ||
| FW | | Hugo Promanzio | 74' |
| Manager: ||
| Rogelio Domínguez ||

### Liguilla pre-Libertadores

This qualifying method debuted in this season. It was contested by the Metropolitano champion and the Nacional runner-up.

| Date | Team 1 | Res. | Team 2 | Venue | City |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 29 Dec | Independiente | 1–0 | San Lorenzo | La Bombonera | Buenos Aires |

### Top scorers

| Rank. | Player | Team | Goals |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 | José Luñiz | Juventud Antoniana | 10 |
| 1 | Alfredo Obberti | Newell's Old Boys | 10 |
| 2 | Carlos Morete | River Plate | 9 |
| 2 | Eduardo Quiroga | Belgrano (C) | 9 |
| 3 | Héctor Scotta | San Lorenzo | 8 |
| 4 | Pablo Díaz | Central Córdoba (SdE) | 7 |
