| Season | 2012–13 | 
|---|---|
| Champions | Apertura: Real Estelí Clausura: Real Estelí | 
| Relegated | Xilotepelt | 
| Champions League | Real Estelí | 
| Top goalscorer | Apertura:  Andres Giraldo - 11 goals Clausura:  TBD - goals | 
| Biggest home win | Apertura: Diriangén 5 - 1  Chinandega FC Xilotepelt 5-1 Ocotal Clausura: Real Estelí 12 - 0 Xilotepelt | 
| Biggest away win | Clausura: Juventus Managua 0-4 Deportivo Walter Ferretti | 
| Highest scoring | Clausura: Real Estelí 12 - 0 Xilotepelt | 
| ← 2011–12  2013–14 →  | |
The 2012–13 season in Primera División de Nicaragua was divided into two tournaments (Apertura and Clausura) and determined the 61st and 62nd champions in the history of the league. It also provided the country's sole berth for the 2013–14 CONCACAF Champions League. The Apertura tournament was played in the second half of 2012, while the Clausura was played in the first half of 2013.
Promotion and relegation
Promoted from Segunda División de Fútbol Nicaragua.
- Champions: Xilotepelt
Relegated to Segunda División de Fútbol Nicaragua.
- Last place: Real Madriz.
Team information
Last updated: July 7, 2011
Stadia and locations
| Team | Home city | Stadium | Capacity | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinandega FC | Chinandega | Estadio Efrain Tijerino | 8,000 | 
| Diriangén | Diriamba | Estadio Cacique Diriangén | 7,500 | 
| Juventus | Managua | Estadio Olímpico del IND Managua | 9,000 | 
| Managua F.C. | Managua | Estadio Olímpico del IND Managua | 9,000 | 
| Ocotal | Ocotal | Estadio Roy Fernandez | 3,000 | 
| Real Estelí | Estelí | Estadio Independencia | 4,800 | 
| Walter Ferretti | Managua | Estadio Olímpico del IND Managua | 9,000 | 
| Xilotepelt | Jinotepe | Estadio Pedro Selva | 12,000 | 
Personnel and sponsoring (2012 Apertura)
| Team | Chairman | Head Coach | Kitmaker | Shirt sponsor | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinandega FC |  TBA |  Alex Cajina | Adidas | None | 
| Diriangén |  Tulio López |  Francisco Nunez | Joma | Movistar | 
| Juventus |  |  Edward Urroz | None | Intracarga, Grao | 
| Managua F.C. |  Napoleón Zeledón |  Emilio Aburto | Managua F.C. | |
| Ocotal |  Oscar Mendoza |  Florentino Colindres | Marlon Anthony | |
| Real Estelí |  Fidel Moreno |  Ramón Otoniel Olivas | Galaxia | Movistar, Bimbo, Yahoo, La Curaçao | 
| Walter Ferretti |  Emilio Rodriguez |  Henry 'Huesito' Urbina | Policia, Cierro, Banco | |
| Xilotepelt |  TBD |  Martin Mena | Gerithen | U de M | 
Managerial changes
Before the start of the season
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Replaced by | Date of appointment | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diriangén |  Angel Orellana | resigned (due to problems with team economics) | June 8, 2012 |  Francisco Núñez | June 14, 2012 | 
| Deportivo Ocotal |  Carlos Walcott | resigned (personal issues) | 9 July 2012 |  Florentino Colindres | 13 July 2012 | 
| Xilotepelt |  Luis "guicho" Díaz | sacked | 3 July 2012 |  Martin Mena | 4 July 2012 | 
During the season
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Replaced by | Date of appointment | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deportivo Ocotal |  Florentino Colindres | resigned (poor performance) | 30 July 2012 |  Sindulios Castellano | 1 August 2012 | 
| Diriangén |  Francisco Núñez | resigned (poor performance) | 23 September 2012 |  Luis Vega | 24 September 2012 | 
Apertura
The 2012 Apertura was the first tournament of the season. It began in August 2012.
Regular season
The regular season began in August 2012. The top four finishers will move on to the next stage of the competition.
Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Real Esteli | 14 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 22 | 12 | +10 | 26 | Semi-finals Group | 
| 2 | Managua | 14 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 16 | 11 | +5 | 22 | |
| 3 | Walter Ferretti | 14 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 15 | 11 | +4 | 20 | |
| 4 | Juventus Managua | 14 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 13 | 14 | −1 | 20 | |
| 5 | Diriangén | 14 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 14 | 16 | −2 | 19 | |
| 6 | Ocotal | 14 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 12 | 16 | −4 | 16 | |
| 7 | Chinandega | 14 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 16 | 22 | −6 | 15 | |
| 8 | Xilotepelt | 14 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 18 | −6 | 15 | 
Results
Positions by round
Finals round
The top two finishers in the Semi-finals Group will move on to the final.
Semi-finals Group
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | RES | WFE | MAN | JUV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Real Esteli | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 5 | +5 | 12 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | ||
| 2 | Walter Ferretti | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 1–0 | ||
| 3 | Managua | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | ||
| 4 | Juventus Managua | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 11 | −5 | 2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
| Managua | 2 – 1 | Juventus Managua | 
|---|---|---|
| Erick Sierra  18', Herbert Cabrera  72' | Cantillo  63' | 
| Real Esteli | 1 – 1 | Walter Ferretti | 
|---|---|---|
| Samuel Wilson  25' | Ismael Reyes  50' | 
| Walter Ferretti | 1 – 0 | Managua | 
|---|---|---|
| Darwing Ramírez  18' | 
| Juventus Managua | 1 – 3 | Real Esteli | 
|---|---|---|
| Victor Carrasco  73' | Manuel Rosas  57', Rudel Calero  62', Jefry Araica  88' | 
| Walter Ferretti | 1 – 0 | Juventus Managua | 
|---|---|---|
| Juan Rosales  76' | 
| Managua | 1 – 1 | Real Esteli | 
|---|---|---|
| Medardo Martinez  20' | Samuel Wilson  32' | 
| Juventus Managua | 1 – 2 | Managua | 
|---|---|---|
|  63' | Erick Sierra  18', Remy Vanegas  72' | 
| Walter Ferretti | 0 – 2 | Real Esteli | 
|---|---|---|
| Samuel Wilson  25', Wilber Sanchez  50' | 
| Managua | 0 – 0 | Walter Ferretti | 
|---|---|---|
| Real Esteli | 1 – 1 | Juventus Managua | 
|---|---|---|
| Rudel Calero  76' | Carlos Membreño  80' | 
| Juventus Managua | 2 – 2 | Walter Ferretti | 
|---|---|---|
| Ronny Colon  35', Henry Garcia  73' | Juan Rosales  78', Ricardo Vegas  54' | 
| Real Esteli | 2 – 1 | Managua | 
|---|---|---|
| Elmer Mejia  28', Manuel Rosas  32' | Erick Sierra  12' | 
Final
First leg
| Walter Ferretti | 0 – 0 | Real Esteli | 
|---|---|---|
Second leg
| Real Esteli | 4 – 0 | Walter Ferretti | 
|---|---|---|
| Rudel Calero  35' &  60' Manuel Rosas  77' &  80' | None | 
| Primera División de Nicaragua 2012 Apertura champion | 
|---|
| Real Estelí 13th title | 
Top scorers
| Rank | Scorer | Club | Goals | 
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Andres Giraldo | Chinandega FC | 11 | 
| 2 |  Rudel Calero | Real Esteli F.C. | 9 | 
| 3 |  Herberth Cabrera | Managua F.C. | 7 | 
| 4 |  Samuel Wilson | Real Esteli F.C. | 7 | 
| 5 |  Eulises Pavon | Diriangén FC | 6 | 
| 6 |  Elmer Mejia | Real Esteli F.C. | 6 | 
| 7 |  Ricardo Vega | Deportivo Walter Ferretti | 5 | 
| 8 |  Ronny Colon | Juventus Managua | 5 | 
Updated to games played on 14 September 2012. 
 Post-season goals are not included, only regular season goals.
List of foreign players in the league
This is a list of foreign players in Apertura 2012. The following players:
- have played at least one apertura game for the respective club.
- have not been capped for the Nicaragua national football team on any level, independently from the birthplace
A new rule was introduced this year, that clubs can have upwards of five foreign players in a squad, However some conditions include: The player has to be younger than 30 years old, spent year abroad away from Nicaragua, and clubs can only have four foreign players on the field at one time .
| Chinandega 
 Diriangén FC 
 Juventus Managua 
 Managua 
 
 | Ocotal 
 Real Esteli 
 Xilotepelt 
 Walter Ferretti 
 
 | 
Clausura
The 2013 Clausura was the second tournament of the season.
Personnel and sponsoring (2013 Clausura)
| Team | Chairman | Head Coach | Kitmaker | Shirt sponsor | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinandega FC |  TBA |  Alex Cajina | Adidas | |
| Diriangén |  Tulio López |  Carlos Alberto de Toro | Joma | Movistar | 
| Juventus |  Edward Urroz |  Douglas Urbina | None | UNEM | 
| Managua F.C. |  Napoleón Zeledón |  Emilio Aburto | Managua F.C. | |
| Ocotal |  Oscar Mendoza |  Sindulio Castellano | Tecnitasa | Alcadia de Ocotal | 
| Real Estelí |  Fidel Moreno |  Ramón Otoniel Olivas | Galaxia | Movistar, Bimbo, Yahoo, La Curaçao | 
| Walter Ferretti |  Emilio Rodriguez |  Henry 'Huesito' Urbina | Dejudo | Claro, Albanisa, Flor de Cana,Ramos, Mediotipca | 
| Xilotepelt |  TBD |  Angel Orellana | TBD | TBD | 
Managerial changes
Before the start of the season
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Replaced by | Date of appointment | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diriangén |  Luis Vega | Sacked | October 2012 |  Carlos Alberto de Toro | November 2012 | 
| Xilotepelt |  Martin Mena | Sacked | December 2012 |  Angel Orellana | January 2013 | 
During the season
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Replaced by | Date of appointment | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deportivo Ocotal |  Sindulios Castellano | resigned (poor performance) | Feb 2013 |  Mario Alfaro | March 2013 | 
| Xilotepelt |  Angel Orellana | resigned (Personal Reasons) | Feb 2013 |  TBD | March 2013 | 
| Deportivo Walter Ferretti |  Henry 'Huesito' Urbina | resigned (Personal Reasons) | March 2013 |  Luis 'Gaucho' Diaz | March 2013 | 
Clausura
The 2013 Clausura was the first tournament of the season. It began in August 2012.
Regular season
The regular season began on 2013. The top four finishers will move on to the next stage of the competition.
Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diriangén | 14 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 25 | 10 | +15 | 31 | Semi-finals Group | 
| 2 | Real Esteli | 14 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 33 | 5 | +28 | 28 | |
| 3 | Walter Ferretti | 14 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 22 | 13 | +9 | 22 | |
| 4 | Managua | 14 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 18 | 16 | +2 | 19 | |
| 5 | Ocotal | 14 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 19 | 21 | −2 | 19 | |
| 6 | Juventus Managua | 14 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 19 | 27 | −8 | 14 | |
| 7 | Chinandega | 14 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 13 | 30 | −17 | 10 | |
| 8 | Xilotepelt | 14 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 14 | 41 | −27 | 8 | 
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
Results
Positions by round
Finals round
The top two finishers in the Semi-finals Group will move on to the final.
Semi-finals Group
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | WFE | RES | MAN | DIR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Walter Ferretti | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 4 | +8 | 14 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | ||
| 2 | Real Esteli | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 4 | +4 | 11 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | ||
| 3 | Managua | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 12 | −7 | 6 | 0–4 | 0–3 | 3–2 | ||
| 4 | Diriangén | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 10 | −5 | 3 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
| Real Esteli | 1-0 | Managua | 
|---|---|---|
| Felix Rodriguez  83' | [] | None | 
| Diriangén FC | 1-2 | Walter Ferretti | 
|---|---|---|
| Lucas Martella  83' | [] | Maycon Santana  52' , Mitchell Williams  60' | 
| Managua | 3-2 | Diriangén FC | 
|---|---|---|
| Darwin Salinas  83'  83', Remmy Vanegas  83' | [] | David Solórzano  83' Jorge Portocarrero  83' | 
| Walter Ferretti | 1-1 | Real Esteli | 
|---|---|---|
| Milton Bustos  83' | [] | Salvador García  83' | 
| Walter Ferretti | 2-1 | Managua | 
|---|---|---|
| Pedrinho  83', Víctor Lozano  83' | [] | Erick Sierra  83' | 
| Real Esteli | 1-0 | Diriangén FC | 
|---|---|---|
| Rudel Calero  83' | [] | 
| Managua | 0-3 | Real Esteli | 
|---|---|---|
| [] | Rudel Calero  1' and  19', Norfran Lazo  85' | 
| Walter Ferretti | 2-0 | Diriangén FC | 
|---|---|---|
| Ricardo Vega  4', Osman Delgado  20' | [] | 
| Real Esteli | 1-1 | Walter Ferretti | 
|---|---|---|
| Norfrraan Lazo | [] | Ricardo Vega | 
| Diriangén FC | 0-1 | Managua | 
|---|---|---|
| [] | Bryan Garcia | 
| Diriangén FC | 2-1 | Real Esteli | 
|---|---|---|
| Diego Diaz | [] | Elmer Mejía, Quintero own goal | 
| Managua | 0-4 | Walter Ferretti | 
|---|---|---|
| [] | Juan Rosales(2), Enrique González, Axel Villanueva | 
Final
First leg
| Real Esteli | 3-0 | Walter Ferretti | 
|---|---|---|
| Félix Rodríguez  25', Wilber Sánchez  63', Elmer Mejía  91' | None | 
Second leg
| Real Esteli | 3-0 | Walter Ferretti | 
|---|---|---|
| Wilber Sánchez  5' | Awarded | None | 
- The game was called after sixty six minutes of play after Walter Ferretti fan base caused to much disruption to the games with rioting, flares and objects being thrown on the pitch, Real Esetli won the series 6-0 on aggregate.[1]
| Primera División de Nicaragua 2013 Clausura champion | 
|---|
| Real Esteli 14th title | 
List of foreign players in the league
This is a list of foreign players in Apertura 2012. The following players:
- have played at least one apertura game for the respective club.
- have not been capped for the Nicaragua national football team on any level, independently from the birthplace
A new rule was introduced this year, that clubs can have upwards of five foreign players in a squad, However some conditions include: The player has to be younger than 30 years old, spent year abroad away from Nicaragua, and clubs can only have four foreign players on the field at one time .
| Chinandega 
 Diriangén FC 
 Juventus Managua 
 Managua 
 
 | Ocotal 
 Real Esteli 
 Xilotepelt 
 Walter Ferretti 
 
 | 
Aggregate table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Real Esteli | 28 | 15 | 9 | 4 | 55 | 17 | +38 | 54 | Qualification for 2013–14 CONCACAF Champions League | 
| 2 | Diriangén | 28 | 15 | 5 | 8 | 39 | 26 | +13 | 50 | |
| 3 | Walter Ferretti | 28 | 12 | 6 | 10 | 37 | 24 | +13 | 42 | |
| 4 | Managua | 28 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 34 | 27 | +7 | 41 | |
| 5 | Ocotal | 28 | 8 | 11 | 9 | 31 | 37 | −6 | 35 | |
| 6 | Juventus Managua | 28 | 9 | 7 | 12 | 32 | 41 | −9 | 34 | |
| 7 | Chinandega | 28 | 6 | 7 | 15 | 29 | 52 | −23 | 25 | |
| 8 | Xilotepelt | 28 | 5 | 8 | 15 | 26 | 59 | −33 | 23 | Relegation playoffs | 
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.






