Bolivien - Copa Simón Bolívar

The old 2nd tier in the Bolivian Football pyramid consists of 9 regional leagues (one for each department), the number of participants varies depending on the department, It usually has between 8 and 12 teams. Both winner and runner-up of each league compete in the Copa Simón Bolívar, with the winner of such tournament gaining promotion to the 1st Division, and the runner-up playing a play-off match with the 11th placed team in the 1st Division. Until 1976 all 8 regional championships (Pando didn't have an organized tournament back then) were the top in the national football pyramid, with the winner of the Copa Simón Bolívar being crowned as national champion. In 2011, and for five seasons, the Copa Simón Bolívar was replaced by the Liga Nacional B, until 2016 when it was reinstated as Bolivia's second-tier football championship.

The oldest regional championship is the one played in La Paz, it started in 1914 and it was considered for many years as the top Bolivian league, even more when it turned into a semi-pro tournament in 1950 and started including teams from Oruro and Cochabamba.

**Bolivien - Copa Simón Bolívar**

Die Copa Simón Bolívar ist der Pokalwettbewerb für Fußballvereine in Bolivien. Er wurde 1960 ins Leben gerufen und ist nach dem venezolanischen Revolutionsführer Simón Bolívar benannt.

An dem Turnier nehmen 16 Mannschaften teil, die in zwei Gruppen eingeteilt werden. Die beiden Gruppenbesten qualifizieren sich für das Halbfinale, das im K.o.-System ausgetragen wird. Das Finale findet an einem neutralen Ort statt.

Die Copa Simón Bolívar ist ein wichtiger Wettbewerb im bolivianischen Fußball und bietet den Vereinen die Möglichkeit, sich für die Copa Libertadores, den wichtigsten Vereinswettbewerb Südamerikas, zu qualifizieren.