First-class football is resisting in certain corners of Spain. In the almost 100-year history of the national top flight, a total of 61 clubs managed to reach the elite. Among them, there are representatives from 38 of the 52 territories delimited throughout the country (50 provinces, plus Melilla and Ceuta), leaving twelve provinces and the two autonomous cities deserted in this category. These 14 places represent what could be the Spain emptied of 1st football. Enclaves in which Pelota has failed to make the leap to the elite, in which its football fans have not been able to enjoy the great events of one of the best leagues on the planet.
From Ceuta and Melilla to Lugo. from the moment that in the period 1928-1929 the starting gun was given to the 1st DivisionNeither in the two autonomous cities in the south of Spain nor in the Galician province in the north of the peninsula did they manage to achieve the highest category of football in Spain. In Galicia, the province of Galicia has not had an elite club either. Ourense, to which is added Zamora, Palencia, Ávila, Segovia, Teruel and Cáceres. The list extends to the other half of the peninsula, including other points such as Toledo, Cuenca, Guadalajara and Ciudad Real.
Among the most outstanding teams in each area, the occasion of Lugo stands out, the only one that is established in the professional category (2nd). The rest of the main teams from each of the aforementioned provinces are in 2nd B (the newly promoted Zamora) or in 3rd Division, as are the cases of Toledo, Ávila, Unión Balompédica Conquense, Teruel or the Gimnástica Segoviana. With the exception of the Toledo club and Lugo, the other clubs have not passed 2nd B. Yes they did. the extinct Ciudad Real, Ourense or Palencia, among many others, that several decades ago they fought in the silver category to get the elite.
On the other hand, and although some find it difficult to recall the representatives of the rest of the territories, a total of 38 provinces have had, at least, one club in 1st. In alphabetical order, the honor roll of the Spanish provinces with teams in elite football would be as follows: Álava, Albacete, Alicante, Almería, Asturias, Badajoz, Barça, Burgos, Cádiz, Cantabria, Castellón, Córdoba, A Coruña, Cuenca , Girona, Granada, Guipúzcoa, Huelva, Huesca, Balearic Islands, Jaén, León, Lérida, the town of the capital of Spain, Malaga, Murcia, Navarra, Las Palmas, Pontevedra, Salamanca, Seville, Soria, Tarragona, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Teruel, Valencia, Valladolid, Vizcaya and Zaragoza.
In the first places of the historical classification of 1st Division, Multiple clubs stand out. Specifically two, Depor and Racing, who have just signed their relegation to 2nd B. Gallegos and Cantabrians are the enormous longing for the summer for football in Spain, who see how two teams with great experience in the elite they sink into a pit from which they are expected to emerge sooner rather than later. On the occasion of the blue and white club, which was founded in 1906, we are facing one of the few teams that has managed to raise a league in Spain. And is that only nine clubs have been proclaimed national champions: Barça, Real the town of the capital of Spain, Atlético, Athletic, Valencia, Real Sociedad, Sevilla, Betis and Deportivo. In turn, the league title in 2000, the A Coruña team accumulated five league runners-up, two Copa del Rey titles in 1995 and 2002 and three Super Cups (1995, 2000 and 2002). A career to which we must add his seasons in the Champions League, in which he achieved be a semi-finalist in 2004.
Founded in 1913, Racing is the only Cantabrian club that has played in the 1st Division and did so over 44 seasons. an amount that leads it to be one of the teams that has played the most campaigns in the Spanish top flight, in which it became runner-up in the 1930-1931 era. Racing left 1st in 2013 and will fight this season in 2nd B to get back to glory. In the memory, for each and every one of the Santanderians and for the rest of the Spanish fans, the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey (2007-2008 and 2009-2010 season) and their participation in the Europa League, then famous as the UEFA Cup (2007-2008).
The ‘king of 2nd’, as many referred to Real Murcia, It is one of the teams that has played the most seasons in the 2nd Division, being also one of the ones that has achieved the most promotions to 1st Division (11) together with Real Betis (12), Málaga (11), Celta (11) or el Deportivo (11), among many others. In the top Spanish category he played for 18 seasons, descending for the last time in 2008. Now, play 2nd B. From the bronze to the silver category to meet another historic player in our football: Castellón. Founded in 1922, it was promoted to 1st Division in 1941, playing in the highest category for six consecutive seasons, even fighting for the league title in 1942-1943, remaining to finish in 4th position. After descending to 2nd, it took 25 years to see Castellón again in the Spanish top division. It was in 1972, being that year runner-up in the Cup. The Albinegro team has counted among its ranks with players like Del Bosque and has a total of 11 seasons in the 1st Division in its history, a fact that has not prevented it from touching the disappearance .
It also highlights the Logroñés, which lived its season of glory at the end of the 80s and the beginning of the 90s. The Rioja team arrived in the 1st Division in 1987 and managed to continue in it for nine seasons, reaching seventh place in the 1989-1990 era, one step away from getting into the UEFA Cup. The Riojan entity came to have among its ranks players of the stature of Julen Lopetegui. With the descent to 2nd, the decline of the club began, which fell to 3rd. In 2004, the economic inconveniences increased until they disappeared in 2009 after the Rioja Football Federation did not accept the club’s registration due to not having paid its pending debt. In June 2009, months after the historic Logroñés disappeared, the new UD Logroñés was born, who will compete in 2nd this season.
Another of the historical teams that have disappeared is the Unión Deportiva Salamanca. The club was unable to settle its debts and filed for a creditors’ contest, with which no agreement was reached, which led to its settlement in 2013. The Salamanca club debuted for the 1st time in the 1st in 1973/1974 and came to play in the gold category for up to 12 seasons, the 1995-1996 campaign being the last disputed in this division. If we talk about the history of football in Spain, the Recreativo de Huelva cannot be missed (founded in 1889), which is the oldest club in Spain, popularly known as the Dean. The humble Huelva club lived the best stage in its history at the beginning of the 21st century, at the moment it achieved two promotions to 1st Division and proclaimed itself runner-up in the Copa del Rey in 2003. overall Recre accumulates five seasons in the top Spanish division. Now, the Andalusian team plays in 2nd B.
Nor can we forget about ‘mechanical cheese’. An Albacete that is the only club in Castilla-La Mancha that has played in the 1st, with seven seasons in its history spread over two eras. In its beginning in the top Spanish category in 1990-1991 the La Mancha team he finished the campaign in seventh place, one point ahead of UEFA’s rankings, then known as “mechanical cheese.” In 1994-1995 he managed to reach the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey, being erased by Valencia. In 1996 he dropped to 2nd to return to the gold category seven years later, in 2003, but he did not achieve permanence and fell back to 2nd and, from there, to 2nd B. The La Mancha club managed to recover and return to the category silver.
The 90s were also indelible for fans of ‘Compos.’ The Galician club managed to rise from 3rd to 1st in just four years with coach Fernando Castro Santos at the controls. In 1993 the club made its debut in the top flight, surviving in it for four seasons thanks to players like Fabiano and Ohen. The stage among the greats of Spanish football ends in 1997/1998. The club dropped to 2nd and their chance significantly worsened. In 2006, the club’s debt rose and all its assets were liquidated by public auction. Currently, the Galician club is in 2nd B, after having spent multiple years in 3rd. On your side, other historical ones hold closer to the elite, competing in 2nd Division. It is the occasion of Real Zaragoza (58 seasons in 1st), Sporting (42), Oviedo (38), Las Palmas (34), Mallorca (28) or Rayo Vallecano (18).
The vast majority of the 38 provinces with representation in 1st, specifically 25, have only had or have one club in the elite. They are: Álava (Alavés), Albacete (Albacete Balompié), Almería (Unión Deportiva Almería), Burgos (Burgos CF), Cantabria (Real Racing Club de Santander), Córdoba (Córdoba), Girona (Girona), Granada (Granada), Huelva (Recreativo de Huelva), Huesca (SD Huesca), Balearic Islands (Mallorca), Jaén (Real Jaén), León (Cultural Leonesa), Lleida, Málaga, Murcia (Real Murcia), Navarra (Osasuna), Las Palmas (Las Palmas), La Rioja (Logroñés), Salamanca (UD Salamanca), Soria (Numancia), Tarragona (Nàstic), Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Tenerife), Valladolid (Real Valladolid) and Zaragoza (Real Zaragoza).
With two or more teams with at least one season in 1st there are 13 provinces: the town of the capital of Spain (Real the town of the capital of Spain, Atlético de la town of the capital of Spain, Rayo Vallecano, Leganés and Getafe), Barça (FC Barça, Espanyol, Sabadell, Europa and CD Condal de Sants -Hostafrancs), Valencia (Levante and Valencia), Alicante (Hércules, Alcoyano and Elche), Cádiz (Cádiz and Xerez), Seville (Betis and Seville), Vizcaya (Athletic and Arenas), Guipúzcoa (Real Sociedad, Eibar and Real Unión ), Castellón (Castellón and Villarreal), Pontevedra (Pontevedra and Celta), A Coruña (Deportivo and Compostela), Asturias (Sporting de Gijón and Real Oviedo) and Badajoz (Mérida and Extremadura).
As can be seen both the town of the capital of Spain and Barça dominate the list, After having had five teams in 1st. LaLiga Santander history. At the present time, the issue is far from these figures. There are only three teams from Madrid (Real la villa de la capital de España, Atleti and Getafe) in 1st, while Barça only has one club in the elite (Barça). The provinces of Valencia, Seville and Guipúzcoa stand out this season, with two teams each in the highest category. If we look at the registration by communities, Andalusia, Valencia and the Basque Country dispute the dominance of elite football in Spain, with four teams each in this new season in 1st.
Source: As newspaper
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