Real Zaragoza is facing the biggest low point in its once glorious history. Can the relegated traditional club still prevent relegation?
“The best is yet to come.” Under this motto, Real Zaragoza started the first season ticket campaign in 2022 after the entry of a group of American investors. Almost four years later, the club is in one of the biggest crises in its history. “In truth, the worst is yet to come – relegation,” Marca stated.
In the second Spanish league, the six-time Spanish Cup winner is in last place in the table with only six points and is looking back on one of the worst starts to the season in history. 21 years ago, Córdoba (five points) was the last team to be worse after 13 games in Liga two.
How the “Glorious” Made Real Zaragoza Famous
The glory days of the “Glorious” in the 1960s now seem like they are from another world. At that time, the team was celebrated as “Los Magnificos”, based on the film “The Magnificent Seven”. Zaragoza reached the final of the Spanish Cup four times in a row, and Real won the title in 1964 and 1966.
That was a long time ago. The triumph in the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1995 is also celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.
Even the footprints of prominent ex-professionals such as Andi Brehme, David Villa or Diego Milito seem to be fading more and more, while the club is finally threatening to sink.
Investor entry leads to continuous descent
Since relegation from La Liga in the 2012/13 season, the club from Aragon has not returned to the Spanish top division and has recorded a steady sporting decline since the investor joined. The placements of the past four seasons: place 10, 13, 15, 18 and this year the previous low point in rank 22.
The gap to place 21 is already six points. It is even eight to the saving shores.
Zaragoza is a prime example of the fact that big money does not always go hand in hand with sporting success. While the team was rolled over by the previous penultimate FC Granada with 1:3 on the last matchday and lost the sixth league game in a row, the responsible persons from the management floor were sought in vain.
President Jorge Mas, who is also co-owner of Inter Miami, preferred to enjoy the MLS play-offs in times of crisis alongside Ivanka Trump and other celebrities in Miami, and managing director Fernando López was also absent from the pivotal game against Granada.
Zaragoza: Fans protest against club management
Personnel changes have not been uncommon at Zaragoza in recent years, but mostly without success. “The mistakes in the selection of the sporting responsible are repeated year after year. And those who make these decisions are still the same. Nothing changes,” Marca criticized.
The dissatisfaction with the decision-makers is now clearly visible in the cityscape. Numerous fans hang their club flags upside down, sending a signal against the club bosses.
A change on the trainer bench has so far been unsuccessful. With Rubén Sellés, the third coach of the season is already on the sidelines, but is still waiting for his first point win after three games.
“Even a lead is a problem”
The situation seems hopeless and relegation can hardly be averted even after the first third of the season. Most recently, even a lead against Granada did not give the team security.
Marca criticized clearly: “After countless games in which Real Zaragoza was beaten by the opponent at will and every goal against seemed like an insurmountable burden, it now shows: Even an early lead is now a problem for the team of Sellés.”
Ruben Sellés is already Zaragoza’s third coach this season
Sellés also said publicly: “This has influenced our entire game and the entire game. Football is often not just something tactical or technical – the psychological aspect also plays a role, and as a group we have not mastered that well.”
Nevertheless, the head coach made it clear: “I’m not worried because I see everyday life.” In addition, the squad is “not the worst in the league.”
Real Zaragoza was “turned into a broken toy”
Slight hope for the Spanish traditional club makes next to the success in the cup against the fourth division UD Multivera also a look at the table intermediate levels of the recent past. With Las Palmas (2007/08) and Cartagena (2023/24), two teams that stood at the same time with the same score were able to prevent relegation.
However, these are individual examples in a series of gloomy fates of other clubs that had to go to the third league. Consequently, the Marca drew the serious interim conclusion: “Real Zaragoza is a club that has completely lost its identity. Through its inability, the new ownership group has turned it into a broken toy that is about to write the saddest chapter in its history.”
“Derby of Despair” becomes a game of fate
Accordingly, a first game of fate is already on Sunday in the “Derby of Despair” against SD Huesca. A win against the 18th of the table could provide some upswing for the first time since September and would also avert a new negative record.
The seventh defeat in a row would be a new club record. When this was set in 1946/47, the team was relegated to League Three at the end of the season.
Despite a home game, Zaragoza cannot fall back on the traditional La Romareda this season. The stadium, which was still the largest in the second league last season and was the venue for three World Cup matches in 1982, was demolished this year.
In the same place, the Nueva Romareda with 42,500 seats should be built by the 2030 World Cup – the only question is in which league the once glorious Real Zaragoza will then play.
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