World's weirdest soccer leagues: 8 champions? Points for losing? Midseason relegation?

"While Europe's top leagues have stuck to the tried-and-tested round-robin league system to decide their champions, and others have added U.S.-style postseason playoffs that culminate in a grand final, some countries have taken a leftfield approach to determining how soccer teams are rewarded for their endeavours over the course of a season. The final of this year's Clausura championship in Argentina, pitting Estudiantes de la Plata against Racing Club, takes place on Saturday."

"For any fan, seeing your club become champions is the dream, the ultimate bragging rights, but that title loses some of its power when there are no fewer than eight "champions." That is the case in Argentina where the recent introduction of yet another "champion" has caused controversy. As is often the case in South America (and, oddly in Malta), Argentina has an Apertura and Clausura system. The season is split into two self-contained league championships, each with their own champion."

"There is also the Copa Argentina, a cup for all teams in the Argentine league system, but after that it all gets a little confusing. The Trofeo de Campeones pits the winners of the Apertura and Clausura against each other, with the victor then taking on the Liga Profesional de Fútbol champions in the Supercopa Internacional. The winners of the Copa Argentina and the Liga Profesional de Fútbol also fight it out for the Supercopa Argentina (a Super Cup as contested in many nations)."

Several soccer nations use unconventional season structures that produce multiple champions in a single year. Argentina uses an Apertura and Clausura split-season system alongside the Copa Argentina, the Trofeo de Campeones, the Supercopa Internacional and the Supercopa Argentina, creating multiple trophy pathways. Multiple winners from league halves and cup competitions can each be declared champions, diluting the singular prestige of being national champion. The proliferation of separate titles has provoked controversy among supporters. Comparable split-season or unusual formats exist elsewhere in South America and in Malta, producing similarly complex championship outcomes.

Read at ESPN.com