With the presence of the main directors of the Cuban Football Association (AFC) and representatives of all the provinces, the technical congress prior to the 106th National Football League met in one of the halls of the Valentín hotel in Havana.
The meeting was honored with the presence of Ariel Sainz, vice president of Inder; Ruperto Herrera Tabío, general secretary of the Cuban Olympic Committee (COC); Luis Hernández, honorary president of the AFC and member of the FIFA executive; and directors of the Mercantile Society Cubadeportes SA
In the conclave, February 5 was ratified as the start date of the opening tournament and also the celebration of the closing match, which confirms the format of two events.
In addition, it was decided to resume the system of the previous championship, based on two groups made up of geographical areas.
In Group A the teams from Isla de la Juventud, Pinar del Río, Artemisa, Havana, Mayabeque, Matanzas, Cienfuegos and Villa Clara will compete.
Sancti Spíritus, Ciego de Ávila, Camagüey, Las Tunas, Holguín, Granma, Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo will perform in group B.
Round-trip matches will be played in both keys, of which the first four will qualify for the closing tournament that will define the national champion.
The best teams in each section will play a single match final in the stadium with the highest score. If there is a tie after 90 minutes of play, penalties will be used to decide the opening tournament champion.
The winning cast will secure a place in the fight for the Cuban Super Cup, precisely against the closing champion and at the end of the national contest.
As a novelty of this championship it was agreed, for the sake of the development of the new figures, that the inclusion of three footballers under 20 years of age in the list of 18 for each game be mandatory.
And to ensure playing time, one of them will always be on the field, although at minute 65 he must give way to another athlete of the same condition. With this, it is intended that at least two act in each match.
The rule of five changes in three windows was also established, in accordance with the international regulations that emerged with the Covid-19 pandemic, which favor the rest of the players.
The president of the AFC, Oliet Rodríguez Méndez, confirmed the attendance of the public at the facilities, complying with the approved sanitary measures and depending on the epidemiological situation in each territory.
Rodríguez Méndez also clarified that athletes positive for Covid-19 will be separated from the group for their attention. Matches will not be suspended as long as the sources of contagion are identified and those positive are isolated.
Miguel Ángel Díaz Pérez, general secretary of the AFC, clarified to this medium that once the opening championship is over, a new congress will be held for the closing.
