The 2009 Campeonato Nacional de Apertura Copa Banco Estado was the 85th season of top-tier football in Chile. The tournament champion was Universidad de Chile, so that earned their 13th league title after a five-year winless, after winning over Unión Española on points, in the finals, that allowed the automatically qualification of the university team to the 2010 Copa Libertadores Second Stage.
After the relegations of Deportes Melipilla, Provincial Osorno and Deportes Concepción (because administration problems), the number of teams that contested the tournament was reduced from 20 to 18, following the promotion of Curicó Unido, which made their first top-flight appearance in 35 years.
The format for 2009 remains largely the same as 2008, except for the advancement to the Playoff Stages. Groups will no longer be used to determine who advance to the next stage. Instead, the top-eight teams in Classification Stage will advance.
International qualification changes
Qualification to the Copa Libertadores remains the same, as well as qualification to the Chile 1 spot in the Copa Sudamericana. The Chile 2 spot will be contested between the second-best team in the first stage and the 2008-09 Copa Chile winner. The winner of the single match will qualify to the 2009 Copa Sudamericana.
