| Season | 1996–97 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Argentinos Juniors (1st divisional title) |
| Promoted | Argentinos Juniors Gimnasia y Tiro |
| Relegated | Sarmiento (J) Gimnasia y Esgrima (CdU) Temperley Juventud Antoniana |
| Top goalscorer | Eduardo Bennett 23 goals |
1997–98 → | |
The1996–97 ArgentinePrimera B Nacional was the 11th season of second division professional offootball in Argentina. A total of 32 teams competed; the champion and runner-up were promoted toArgentine Primera División.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belgrano | 16 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 30 | 19 | +11 | 31 | Championship Group |
| 2 | San Martín (SJ) | 16 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 27 | 17 | +10 | 28 | |
| 3 | Atlético de Rafaela | 16 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 27 | 21 | +6 | 28 | |
| 4 | Olimpo | 16 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 25 | 21 | +4 | 26 | Fourth Place Playoff |
| 5 | San Martín (T) | 16 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 27 | 26 | +1 | 23 | Relegation Group |
| 6 | Aldosivi | 16 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 16 | 29 | −13 | 17 | |
| 7 | Juventud Antoniana | 16 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 21 | 25 | −4 | 16 | |
| 8 | Chaco For Ever | 16 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 20 | 29 | −9 | 16 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Godoy Cruz | 16 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 22 | 13 | +9 | 28 | Championship Group |
| 2 | Gimnasia y Tiro | 16 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 23 | 19 | +4 | 26 | |
| 3 | Talleres (C) | 16 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 28 | 19 | +9 | 26 | |
| 4 | Instituto | 16 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 21 | 19 | +2 | 22 | Fourth Place Playoff |
| 5 | Atlético Tucumán | 16 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 26 | 28 | −2 | 21 | Relegation Group |
| 6 | Cipolletti | 16 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 15 | |
| 7 | Douglas Haig | 16 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 15 | 28 | −13 | 13 | |
| 8 | Gimnasia y Esgrima (CdU) | 16 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 14 | 29 | −15 | 13 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Almagro | 16 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 20 | 13 | +7 | 27 | Championship Group |
| 2 | Quilmes | 16 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 15 | 13 | +2 | 25 | |
| 3 | All Boys | 16 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 24 | 21 | +3 | 24 | |
| 4 | Central Córdoba (R) | 16 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 24 | 16 | +8 | 23 | Fourth Place Playoff |
| 5 | Atlanta | 16 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 24 | 20 | +4 | 22 | Relegation Group |
| 6 | Arsenal | 16 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 12 | 16 | −4 | 16 | |
| 7 | Almirante Brown | 16 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 16 | 25 | −9 | 14 | |
| 8 | Temperley | 16 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 13 | 25 | −12 | 11 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Andes | 16 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 28 | 15 | +13 | 28 | Championship Group |
| 2 | Argentinos Juniors | 16 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 27 | 20 | +7 | 28 | |
| 3 | Deportivo Morón | 16 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 25 | 19 | +6 | 27 | |
| 4 | Nueva Chicago | 16 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 25 | 16 | +9 | 26 | Fourth Place Playoff |
| 5 | Chacarita Juniors | 16 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 27 | 21 | +6 | 23 | Relegation Group |
| 6 | Sportivo Italiano | 16 | 2 | 9 | 5 | 14 | 22 | −8 | 15 | |
| 7 | Sarmiento (J) | 16 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 15 | 29 | −14 | 12 | |
| 8 | Estudiantes (BA) | 16 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 22 | −15 | 10 |
A tiebreaker was played between the teams that finished 4th in their respective zones.For the Interior Zone playedOlimpo vsInstituto and for the Metropolitana Zone playedCentral Córdoba (R) vsNueva Chicago. Both matches were played in neutral stadiums. The winning teams qualified for theChampionship Group.
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Olimpo | 3-0 | Instituto |
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Central Córdoba (R) | 0–0 (4-3p) | Nueva Chicago |
The championship Group was played by the 14 teams that qualified from their zones and the 2 teams that qualified by winning theFourth Place Playoff. The winning team was declared champion and was automatically promoted toPrimera Division, and the teams placed 2nd to 5th played theSecond Promotion Playoff.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Argentinos Juniors | 26 | 15 | 7 | 4 | 52 | 30 | +22 | 52 | Primera Division |
| 2 | Talleres (C) | 26 | 14 | 8 | 4 | 47 | 23 | +24 | 50 | Second Promotion Playoff |
| 3 | Godoy Cruz | 26 | 14 | 6 | 6 | 49 | 34 | +15 | 48 | |
| 4 | Gimnasia y Tiro | 26 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 52 | 39 | +13 | 43 | |
| 5 | Belgrano | 26 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 52 | 40 | +12 | 40 | |
| 6 | Quilmes | 26 | 12 | 4 | 10 | 45 | 34 | +11 | 40 | |
| 7 | Los Andes | 26 | 10 | 5 | 11 | 37 | 39 | −2 | 35 | |
| 8 | Central Córdoba (R) | 26 | 9 | 4 | 13 | 32 | 52 | −20 | 31 | |
| 9 | Almagro | 26 | 8 | 6 | 12 | 48 | 54 | −6 | 30 | |
| 10 | Olimpo | 26 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 41 | 46 | −5 | 28 | |
| 11 | Atlético de Rafaela | 26 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 39 | 47 | −8 | 27[a] | |
| 12 | All Boys | 26 | 6 | 6 | 14 | 28 | 49 | −21 | 24 | |
| 13 | San Martín (SJ) | 26 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 32 | 39 | −7 | 24[b] | |
| 14 | Deportivo Morón | 26 | 4 | 7 | 15 | 27 | 55 | −28 | 19 |
It was divided in 2 groups (Interior and Metropolitana). 9 teams played in each group. Teams placed 1st and 2nd qualified for theSecond Promotion Playoff.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chaco For Ever | 16 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 26 | 16 | +10 | 29 | Second Promotion Playoff |
| 2 | Cipolletti | 16 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 28 | 17 | +11 | 28 | |
| 3 | Instituto | 16 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 35 | 29 | +6 | 28 | |
| 4 | Aldosivi | 16 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 19 | 22 | −3 | 26 | |
| 5 | San Martín (T) | 16 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 26 | 26 | 0 | 22 | |
| 6 | Gimnasia y Esgrima (CdU) | 16 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 28 | 32 | −4 | 21 | |
| 7 | Douglas Haig | 16 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 20 | 21 | −1 | 19 | |
| 8 | Juventud Antoniana | 16 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 18 | 27 | −9 | 16 | |
| 9 | Atlético Tucumán | 16 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 20 | 30 | −10 | 14 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nueva Chicago | 16 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 31 | 20 | +11 | 30 | Second Promotion Playoff |
| 2 | Sportivo Italiano | 16 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 19 | 15 | +4 | 30 | |
| 3 | Almirante Brown | 16 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 26 | 20 | +6 | 24 | |
| 4 | Estudiantes (BA) | 16 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 21 | 19 | +2 | 22 | |
| 5 | Atlanta | 16 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 17 | 15 | +2 | 22 | |
| 6 | Chacarita Juniors | 16 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 21 | |
| 7 | Temperley | 16 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 15 | 20 | −5 | 17 | |
| 8 | Arsenal | 16 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 15 | 21 | −6 | 16 | |
| 9 | Sarmiento (J) | 16 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 11 | 25 | −14 | 10 |
The Second Promotion playoff was played by the teams placed 2nd to 5th from theChampionship Group and 4 teams (2 from Interior Group and 2 from Metropolitano Group) from theRelegation Group. The winning team was promoted toPrimera Division.
| Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Final | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2CG | Talleres (C) | 3 | 2 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2IG | Cipolletti | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2CG | Talleres (C) | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2MG | Sportivo Italiano | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| 3CG | Godoy Cruz | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2MG | Sportivo Italiano | 3 | 2 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2CG | Talleres (C) | 0 | 1 | 1(1) | ||||||||||||||||
| 4CG | Gimnasia y Tiro(p) | 1 | 0 | 1(3) | ||||||||||||||||
| 4CG | Gimnasia y Tiro | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1IG | Chaco For Ever | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| 4CG | Gimnasia y Tiro | 2 | 3 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
| 5CG | Belgrano | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| 5CG | Belgrano | 2 | 3 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1MG | Nueva Chicago | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| Talleres (C) | 1–0 (a.e.t.) | Gimnasia y Tiro |
|---|---|---|
| Zelaya | Report | |
| Penalties | ||
| Montelongo Díaz Oste Clementz | 1–3 | Ibánez Cervera Plaza |
| Team details | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Note: After the series ended 1–1 on aggregate, Gimnasia y Tiro won 3–1 on penalties, promoting to Primera División.
Note: Clubs with indirect affiliation withAFA are relegated to theTorneo Argentino A, while clubs directly affiliated face relegation toPrimera B Metropolitana. Clubs with direct affiliation are all fromGreater Buenos Aires, with the exception ofNewell's,Rosario Central,Central Córdoba andArgentino de Rosario, all fromRosario, andUnión andColón fromSanta Fe.
| Pos | Team | 1994–95 Pts | 1995–96 Pts | 1996–97 Pts | Total Pts | Total Pld | Avg | Situation | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Instituto | 43 | 48 | 35 | 126 | 116 | 1.086 | Indirect | |
| 2 | Douglas Haig | 45 | 48 | 25 | 118 | 116 | 1.017 | ||
| 3 | Cipolletti | — | — | 32 | 32 | 32 | 1 | ||
| 4 | Chaco For Ever | — | — | 32 | 32 | 32 | 1 | ||
| 5 | San Martín (T) | 48 | 33 | 32 | 113 | 116 | 0.974 | ||
| 6 | Aldosivi | — | — | 31 | 31 | 32 | 0.969 | ||
| 7 | Atlético Tucumán | 32 | 49 | 25 | 106 | 116 | 0.914 | ||
| 8 | Gimnasia y Esgrima (CdU) | — | — | 25 | 25 | 32 | 0.781 | Torneo Argentino A | |
| 9 | Juventud Antoniana | — | — | 25 | 25 | 32 | 0.781 |
| Pos | Team | 1994–95 Pts | 1995–96 Pts | 1996–97 Pts | Total Pts | Total Pld | Avg | Situation | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlanta | — | — | 35 | 32 | 32 | 1.094 | Direct | |
| 2 | Sportivo Italiano | — | — | 35 | 35 | 32 | 1.094 | ||
| 3 | Nueva Chicago | 41 | 39 | 40 | 120 | 116 | 1.034 | ||
| 4 | Chacarita Juniors | 40 | 39 | 34 | 113 | 116 | 0.974 | ||
| 5 | Almirante Brown | — | — | 29 | 29 | 32 | 0.906 | ||
| 6 | Estudiantes (BA) | — | — | 26 | 26 | 32 | 0.813 | ||
| 7 | Arsenal | — | — | 25 | 25 | 32 | 0.781 | ||
| 8 | Temperley | — | — | 23 | 23 | 32 | 0.719 | Primera B Metropolitana | |
| 9 | Sarmiento (J) | — | — | 17 | 17 | 32 | 0.531 |