While the lawyers of various teams in the Smartbank League fight for a resolution of the 'Fuenlabrada case', in La Coruña and Soria an idea is repeated with increasing insistence. The idea of ​​a Second Division with 24 teams that includes Deportivo and Numancia, mathematically descended after the match of the 42nd matchday that they could not play on Monday.

For this reason, in Riazor they cling to a bureaucratic struggle that ends with the expansion to 24 groups, in a somewhat far-fetched parallel with other precedents, such as the salvation of a Cádiz CF who was bottom team in the 1986-87 season and who saved because at the end of the year it was decided to expand the League to 20 teams. The people from Cádiz won the playoff and only one team descended, Racing. And closer, Depor has the example of its Celta neighbors, in 1995.

That summer, the League administratively descended to Celta and Seville and rejoined Albacete and Valladolid in the First Division, relegated in the field. Celestes and Sevillians did not present in due time two guarantees of 45 and 85 million pesetas (270,000 and 510,000 euros) being sent without the possibility of an allegation to Segunda B. This generated massive protests in both cities, with 35,000 people in front of the Government Delegation in Seville and 5,000 vigueses making a historic trip to Madrid. Not to mention that extraordinary assembly in which it was decided, between insults and quarrels - the "cocoons!" Is still remembered. from José María Caneda , president of Compostela, to the members of the CSD- readmit both and play a tournament of 22 clubs for two years.

"There was a shape defect"

"The substantial difference is that Deportivo has lost the category due to sports demerits," Paco Hernández , vice president of Celta in the 90s and visible face of the club during the guarantee crisis , acknowledges EL MUNDO . «Celta and Sevilla lost it due to an obvious, but rectifiable, administrative error. Celta was healthy and could perfectly accept the guarantee. There was a defect in form, but you cannot descend to a team without giving the possibility of allegations, "he stresses.

Hernández remembers 25 years later one of the most tense moments of the last decades in Spanish soccer. A controversy that affected all levels, the Higher Sports Council, the Spanish Federation, the media, clubs and even the Prime Minister, Felipe González . «It was so relevant that Celta reached, through the help of Abel Caballero (now mayor of Vigo), until Felipe, who was from Sevilla. The Presidency's performance was decisive ». «There was a disagreement between the Seville president and the LFP secretary, Jesús Samper , and the Secretary of State for Sport, Rafael Cortés Elvira . These two characters put Sevilla in the same bag, for personal reasons, and Celta, as a companion. It was an absolutely incorrect application of the norm, violating rights, nonsense. I remember that they had a special grudge against Sevilla, "explains Hernández.

Javier Tebas is more honest and a better manager than those of our time.

Paco Hernández.

Celta and Sevilla claimed, but since the League had already granted Albacete and Valladolid the right to remain in the First Division, the only solution was to vote for the 22-man competition in an assembly held two weeks later and after pressure from both hobbies. Some teams did not want to add more clubs but, although with a fair result, they decided in favor of expansion. "It was decided on a Solomonic decision and to maintain the rights that Albacete and Valladolid had temporarily acquired. There should have been a precautionary suspension of the procedure and had kept Valladolid and Albacete in Second until it was resolved. But this was not done and they clung to that right, "summarizes Hernández, extremely resounding in his vision of those troubled times.

"A private preserve, a dictatorship"

«Caneda was very supportive of us. There is the famous 'cocoons' to Samper and Cortés Elvira. Augusto César Lendoiro was not belligerent, but there were teams that wanted us to descend. We are talking about an unfortunate time, where there was in the League a man with whom you could hardly speak, Samper, and a Taliban as Secretary of State. They handled everything. It was a private preserve, a dictatorship », ditch crudely.

The one who was a key man of Celta in Madrid during the crisis hopes that the situation of Deportivo and Fuenlabrada will be resolved by football. «Let football, as in our case, be the one who makes the decision under current legislation. That Deportivo should be given an audience channel to defend its interests and, if it is estimated, we will have to go to a 24-team championship. I do not agree with Javier Tebas many times, but he is more honest and a better manager than those of our time ».

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Know more

  • Abel Caballero
  • Felipe González
  • Javier Thebes
  • Racing de Santander
  • sports
  • Sevilla FC
  • Real Valladolid CF
  • Albacete Balompié
  • soccer
  • Second division
  • First division
  • CD Numancia

LaLiga SmartBank 2019 - 2020 Deportivo is the 'pupas': from the fire in Riazor, to the penalty of Djukic and a descent to 2nd B without playing

SecondThe president of Deportivo: "The only solution is political. A League of 24"

LaLiga Santander 2019 - 2020The sad discount of Antoine Griezmann: "Without words"

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