Even in South American football, known for its wildness and ruggedness, there are few stories as bizarre as The League's 2021 triumph.
As a legendary club with a history of 120 years, it may not be bizarre that The League of Lima won the title, but it is strange that by the end of the league in 2020, they have been relegated to the second division. Not only that, but they also didn't play in the first round of the new season.
So, with the situation of relegation, why can the Lima League participate in the first division of the new season and eventually win the championship?
As one of the traditional giants of the Peruvian league, the League of Lima has won the top flight 24 times. With such a foundation and strength, the relegation of the Lima League is almost unimaginable.
Moreover, the Peruvian league is one of the least competitive South American leagues, which is reflected in the fact that no Peruvian team has ever won the Copa Libertadores, and the best result is only the runner-up in 1972 and 1997.
Not only that, in 2020, due to the impact of the epidemic, all the leagues are concentrated in the capital, which means that the Lima League does not need to travel long distances, and every game is a real home stadium.
Keep in mind that the rivals of the Lima League are either at high altitudes or in the hot north, which often becomes their advantage. Shockingly, even after an entire season of home advantage, the League of Lima has been relegated.
Once the season is over, controversy ensues. One of the league's taller, most successfully relegated teams is named Stein, who in the middle of the season owed his players a salary due to financial problems.
The Peruvian Football Federation eventually decided to give Stein a fine, but this made the Lima League very unhappy, believing that Stein should be deducted points according to the regulations. In this case, The Lima League will be relegated and Stein will be relegated to the second division.
However, the Peruvian Football Federation did not agree to the lima league's request. The League of Lima did not give in, but appealed all the way to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
When the new season had begun and Stein had already played the first round, the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that Stein should be deducted 2 points, so that The League of Lima magically returned to the top flight, while Stein was relegated to the second division.
After one relegation, the Lima League invited Argentine Bustos as manager. Bustos's tactics emphasize defence, which the League of Lima believes are more suitable for playing in the second division. However, Bustos' conservative tactics also proved to be enough to help them win the top flight.
In the finals, the Lima League, which won the spring championship, played against the autumn champion Crystal Athletic. In the two-legged match, Lima won the league with a score of 1-0, and it was the "pirate" Balx who scored this golden goal in the Chinese Super League, who played for Shenhua, Shenzhen and Taida.
The 37-year-old Balquez has scored 18 goals in 28 rounds, topping the team's top scorer list with 10 goals and eight assists, accounting for more than half of the team's goals.
At the end of the season, Balx was voted the best player in the league, and he excitedly said, "For my career, this award is very important and it is also a recognition of the whole team. ”
Dramatically, at the same time as the Lima League won the title, Stein also returned to the top flight after eliminating his opponents in a penalty shootout in the play-offs.
There is no doubt that in the 2022 league, the match between the Lima League and Stein will be splashed around, whether the Lima League will defend the championship honor, or Stein's successful "revenge", everything is still unknown.