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Almería's Largie Ramazani on the ball
Photo: Angel Medina G. / EPA
In the 29th attempt, the knot was broken: the Spanish football club UD Almería ended its inglorious series and won its first league win this season.
At UD Las Palmas, the bottom team won 1-0 (1-0).
The Brazilian Leo Baptistao scored the redeeming goal in the 14th minute.
It was the first game for coach Pepe Mel, 61, who took over from the hapless Gaizka Garitano last week.
Almería lost 21 points after taking a lead this season, more than any other team in La Liga.
Almería had waited 31 league games for a win across the seasons.
Since the league started in August, the club from southern Spain had drawn ten times and lost 18 times.
There have never been 28 games without a win at the start of the season in top European football.
Even Tasmania Berlin had won one game at the start of its infamous 1965/66 Bundesliga season before having to wait for the next 31.
The latest first win of the season in the Bundesliga was celebrated by the 1st.
FC Nürnberg, who remained winless in the entire first half of the 2013/14 season, only to defeat TSG Hoffenheim 4-0 at the start of the second half of the season in the 18th attempt.
No success, despite Saudi Arabian money
Thanks to the success on matchday 28, Almería has now moved within one point of FC Granada.
However, staying in the league remains unlikely.
The gap to a non-relegation place is 14 points, with nine match days still to be played.
Almería's negative streak is also astonishing because the club has considerable financial resources.
Since 2019, the club has been owned by Turki Al-Sheikh, chairman of the Saudi Arabian General Authority for Entertainment.
Last season, Almería narrowly avoided relegation.
Before this season, the club signed new players for around 52 million euros - only league leaders Real Madrid bought more expensively.
mlb/sid/AP