Primera Division. After the first phase the league was divided into three groups of 6 teams each – the championship group, the intermediate group, and the relegation group. The late decision to increase the league to 20 teams affected only the relegation group – originally, the last three were to be directly relegated, but the increase of the league reduced the relegated teams to one and additional phase was added. The last three teams in the relegation group went to decide between themselves which team will go down. Records of the first phase were carried to the second, but the relegation play-offs started with clean sheets of the unfortunate participants.
The Relegation Group. The last 6 teams in the final table of the first phase.
Cadiz – last with 29 points.
Racing Santander – 5th with 33 points.
Osasuna – 4th with 38 points.
Sabadell – 3rd with 38 points. By the rules – ahead of Osasuna because of better head-to-head record.
Las Palmas – 2nd with 41 points.
Athletic Bilbao – 1st with 42 points.
Originally, the last three were to be relegated, but the mid-season to increase the league changed that – now one team was going down and for that the last three in the relegation group proceeded to relegation play-offs. The last tournament ended awkward as everything this season: two teams played 2 matches and one team ended with game played – and was relegated. Why? Who knows…
Osasuna finished first with 1 win and 1 tie – and remained in the league. Standing from left: Sabido, Ibáñez, Lumbreras, De Luis, Castañeda,Vicuña.
First row: Aguirre, Rípodas, Benito, Bustingorri, Martín.
Cadiz also survived – 2nd with 2 ties.
Racing Santander played only one match, which they lost: 1-3 to Osasuna. That relegated them. Too bad, for they played better than Cadiz during the whole season and were ahead of them until this last phase.
Intermediate group – the teams which took 7-12 place in the opening phase. Playing for nothing… the never answered question when championships were organized in such way: what could motivate teams with no chance of going neither up, nor down to play 10 more games after already went through 34 grueling matches? Anyway…
Sevilla – 6th with 39 points.
Real Murcia – 5th with 41 points.
Real Valladolid – 4th with 41 points.
Real Betis – 3rd with 45 points. Top row from left: Cervantes, Rincón, Reyes, Gail, Medina, Hadzibegic, Salva.
Middle row: Soto, Parra, Piriz, Del Sol, Retamero, Calderón, Ito, Pitero, Montiel.
Sitting: Diego, Chano, Alex, Casado, Romo, Quico, Gabino, Ortega.
Real Sociedad – 2nd with 47 points. However, they had nothing to complain of at the end of the season.
Atletico Madrid – 1st with 47 points.
The Championship Group – the top 6 after the first phase.
Mallorca – 6th with 42 points.
Real Zaragoza – 5th with 44 points.
Sporting Gijon – 4th with 45 points.
Espanol – 3rd with 51 points. Excellent season for the smaller team from Barcelona.
Barcelona – 2nd with 63 points. As usual, the rest of the league was left far behind and the dog fight with Real Madrid went to the end, but it was lost by Barcelona. The English approach lost to the Dutch, in a way. Strong squad, but… nothing.
After 44 games played, Real Madrid was once again Spanish champion. They were first after the first phase and first after the second phase, increasing their lead from 1 point to 3. 27 wins, 12 ties, 5 losses, 84-37 goal-difference, 66 points. Leo Beenhakker confirmed he was one of the top coaches in the world at the moment, but his squad was formidable – the addition of Hugo Sanchez proved great. Veteran greats Santillana and Camacho added another title to their illustrious record sheets, which was wonderful in their fading years. Like Barcelona, Real employed more foreigners than actually allowed to play – a long-lasting tactic of both great clubs, which easily afforded to have a great international star sitting on the bench, ready to replace another great star if something did not work right. But at the end of teh day, nothing really needed to be said: Real Madrid was Real Madrid, ever hungry for