Segunda Division. The usual 20-team league, but seemingly going to be reduced to 18 – 4 teams relegated and only 2 promoted from third level. The top 3 were promoted to First Division, the second teams of the big clubs were not permitted to go up, of course, but were free to go down. As it happened, there was no B-team among the best, but Atletico Madrilleno (Atletico Madrid B) finished last and was relegated.
The other relegated were CD Tenerife – 19th, Deportivo Aragon – 18th, and
Albacete Balompie – 17th.
CD Logrones survived – 16th with 33 points. 2 points ahead of Albacete and curiously for so lowly team, with positive goal-difference.
Up the table, it was dog-fight as usual – practically 8 teams fought to the end for 2 promotional spots, yet, without really challenging the leading club of the season. As for B teams, they were not concerned with promotion – their role was only to develop possible young players for the prime squad, but their names were a bit confusing, for by this time they appeared with slightly changed names of the the mother club, but not in every source. Barcelona Athletic (Barcelona B) was 13th, Castilla CF (Real Madrid B) – 12th, Bilbao Athletic (Athletic Bilbao B) – 7th. The rest of the league played as they could at the moment.
CD Malaga finished 11th with 37 points. Nothing to brag about.
Sestao, perhaps the least known club in the league, finished 10th with 39 points and had something to brag about: for such small club, they had wonderful season in Second Division, ending in the middle of it and right behind the teams fighting for promotion.
Ahead of Sestao was compact group of teams entertaining hopes for promotion to various degrees, but to the end. Well, all except Bilbao Athletic, which even if winning the league could not be promoted. 4 points divided 2nd from 9th at the end of the season.
Recreativo Huelva was 9th with 42 points.
Real Oviedo – 8th with 44 points.
Above them – Bilbao Athletic also with 44 points.
Deportivo La Coruna – 6th with 45 points.
CD Castellon – 5th with 45 points. Recognizable names started to appear in the upper part of the league – Botubot and the Hungarian Dunai were in this squad, for instance.
Elche CF – 4th with 45 points, ahead of Castellon thanks to better head-to-head record, but still missing the targeted promotion.
RCD Mallorca clinched 3rd place with 46 points and was very happy at the end of the season – they were going up to the top league.
CE Sabadell FC also finished with 46 points and took second place, but what really mattered was not that much coming ahead of Mallorca, but getting promoted. It was prevailing in the dog-fight what mattered and they did it.
One team was so strong this season, it was hardly concerned with the dog-fight bellow – Real Murcia was really dominant, finishing 6 points ahead of the other candidates for promotion. Comfortable champions of Second Division with 52 points from 22 wins, 8 ties, and 8 losses. Their dominance perhaps shows best in their scoring record: 66-30. Best strikers, best defenders, astonishing for doggy Spanish second level +36 goal-difference.
Real Murcia really deserves a second picture – here they are the 1985-86 champions of Segunda Division A.