Segunda Division. Not very interesting to the world outside Spain. Rules must be mentioned, though: in Spain second teams of first division clubs were allowed to play all the way up to second division – but they were not allowed to play in the same division with the first team. This automatically disqualified them to promotion to top level, leaving one intriguing, but entirely academic question: what could happen if the first team ends in the relegation zone and the second team finishes in the promotional zone. Anyhow, the real point is that second team could not go up – if finishing, say, second, then the third in the final table is promoted. Nothing like that happened this season and, in fact, only 2 B teams participated: Castilla CF (Real Madrid) and Atletico Madrileno (Atletico Madrid). The top three teams were promoted, the last four – relegated. And that was affected by irregularities: Almeria had 4 points deducted for fielding ineligible players against Deportivo La Coruna and Mallorca. Almeria, Burgos, Levante, and Getafe were relegated for not paying their players – this was rather meaningless, since they were at the very bottom pf the table, except Burgos, which was 9th. Good news for Deportivo Alaves, 17th in the final table – they were readmitted d to the league to take place of Burgos. So, financial troubles unfolded during the season – before its start the big news was different: Johan Cruijff returned to Spain, joining Levante. Hard to imagine him not been paid, but he did not last at all – he left after 9 games, most likely realizing the club was short of cash. Very short stint, but nominally Cruijff had been Levante’s player this season, which is good to put on record: the only occasion Cruijff not played second division football, but also for a team ending in the relegation zone.
Getafe was last with 19 points. Well, administrative expulsion meant nothing – they were last anyway.
Levante – here still with Cruijff – was 19th with 20 points. Same fate as Getafe’s: relegated even wihtout expulsion.
Almeria – 18th with 26 points and same case as Levante and Getafe.
Alaves – 17th with 29 points. Standing from left: Galarraga, Urdaci, Larrañaga I, Sánchez Martín, Cendoya, Astarbe.
First row: Unanue, Miguel Angel Seijo, Amuchástegui, López Polaina, Gomez de Segura.
Lucky boys – their final position relegated them, but after Burgos was punished, they stayed in the league.
But Real Oviedo was luckier than Alaves – with 31 points they finished 16th , just outside relegation zone. Lucky to survive… Oviedo really had hard times: after years in First Division, now they fought to keep a place in Second Division. Yet, they played a friendly against Chile in April, 1982. Part of the preparation of Chile for the coming World Cup. This is the team which finished 0-0 with Chile: standing from left: Vili, Viti, Antuña, Uría, Iriarte, Luisito.
Crouching: Carrete, Martín Roales, Jaime Serrano, García Barrero, Manolín.
Nothing exciting in the lower part of the league – recent first division members usually occupied the upper part, competing for promotions.
Rayo Vallecano was 7th with 41 points.
Real Murcia was 5th with 46 points.
Elche was 4th with 50 points. Standing from left: Jacquet,Jorge,Aguirreoa,Valle,Botella,Fali, Tenorio.
First row:Paco Bonet,Kostic,Silos, Roberto Álvarez.
Recognizable foreign players eventually were discovered in such clubs – often just carried over from first division. Milos Kostic, for example.
Standing from left: Burgueña,Popo,Nacho,Serrano,Antonio Hierro, Muñoz Pérez;
First row:Rodríguez,Juan Carlos,Peribaldo,Martín y José.
CD Malaga – Club Deportivo Malaga – not to be confused with their former B team Malaga CF, currently the prime club of the city – finished 3rd and, thus, promoted. Essentially, there was battle between 4 clubs for 3 promotional spots. Malaga and Elche lost a few more points than the others and finished with 50 points each. Goal-difference benefited Malaga: Elche ended with +24, Malaga with +35. Lucky.
Salamanca – 2nd with one point more than Elche and Malaga. Promoted and happy about it.
Celta (Vigo) – champions of Segunda Division with 53 points from 22 wins and 9 ties. They lost 7 matches, 79-40 goal-difference. Not overwhelming champions, but on the top anyway. Of course, promotion was all that mattered, but to add a title was also nice.
At the end, three former first division clubs managed to return to the highest league. Quite typical.