Real Valladolid’s return to Spain’s top flight lasted just one season, as their relegation to the Segunda División was confirmed following a heavy 5-1 defeat away at Real Betis on Thursday night.
The loss leaves them bottom of the table and unable to escape the drop zone with five games still remaining.
Valladolid, who only gained promotion last year, have endured a difficult campaign, managing just four wins all season – only one of which has come since early January. They sit on 16 points from 33 matches.
This marks the club’s third relegation since Brazilian legend Ronaldo became the majority owner in 2018, amid reports he is now looking to sell his stake. The club has also dismissed two managers this season, Diego Cocca and Paulo Pezzolano, before former player Álvaro Rubio took interim charge in February.
“It is a very tough day. The dressing room is devastated. We are where we are because we deserve to be,” a dejected Rubio told DAZN after the match. “We haven’t been up to the standard of this division. We’ll pick ourselves up and keep going.”
He added, “A lot of things hurt me, seeing how hard the players try. These are games you lose by a landslide, but they didn’t deserve this given the effort they put in.”
With Valladolid’s fate sealed, two relegation spots remain undecided in La Liga. Leganés currently occupy 19th place with 30 points, while Las Palmas sit just above them in 18th with 32 points, according to the latest available information, though the final picture depends on other results.
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