The ANFP board decided on December 30 to unanimously ratify the relegation of Unión Española and Deportes Iquique to Primera B for the 2026 season, dismissing their appeal based on an outdated regulatory article. The clubs argued for an interpretation that would allow them to stay in Primera División using averages, but the governing body stressed that the championship rules were approved by all, including themselves. The dispute may continue in Chilean courts.
The board of the Asociación Nacional de Fútbol Profesional (ANFP), presided over by Pablo Milad, met on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, in Quilín to review the claim filed by Unión Española and Deportes Iquique. Both clubs finished with the fewest points in the 2025 Primera División annual table, relegating them to Primera B under Article 88 of the Championship Rules.
The Hispanics and the Celestial Dragons appealed citing the old Article 90 of the ANFP Regulations, which provided for a relegation system based on averages over the last three seasons. However, the ANFP clarified in a statement that this section "was applied only in the 2005 season and has been tacitly repealed by subsequent statutory modifications (2012 and 2022)", which set a maximum of 16 teams in Primera División, incompatible with the previous 20-team structure.
"The decision, taken unanimously, ratifies the full validity and applicability of the 2025 Primera División Championship Rules", the body stated. It also emphasized that the rules were approved by the Presidents' Council before the competition began, with favorable votes from Unión Española and Deportes Iquique. The claim is deemed inadmissible, as the clubs competed under those rules throughout the season, and challenging them afterward contradicts good faith and legal certainty.
Clubs like Deportes Limache and La Serena, who would ascend instead, harshly criticized the appeal. "It's out of all context, out of place. They signed and approved the rules. They lost the category on the pitch", said César Villegas, owner of Limache.
Jorge Segovia, owner of Unión Española, indicated that if the ANFP shuts the door, they will appeal to Chilean courts, not the TAS. The battle also involves financial implications: the clubs seek to retain Primera División revenues even in B, given the sharp economic drop relegation entails.
