Racing Santander was the big loser of the botched League 1986-1987 (Photo: Diario Montañés)
The Playoff League 1986-1987 how is it known, is, surely the most peculiar’ the history of La Liga. And in that edition of the Spanish championship,, for the first and only time, a system of playoffs both to decide the title, European places and relegation. But nevertheless, The botch was of such magnitude and the chaos produced was such that the experiment lasted only one season and was not repeated again.. Fortunately. Let us review the various absurdities that were producing.
The Playoff League 1986-87: A botch
That campaign the competition had 18 teams. The first regular phase therefore had 34 journeys. The 6 first classified had to fight to be champion, keeping your score on the regular season and playing 10 days including. the 6 They following faced in trying to reach League Cup (competition that was never to be played so it was absurd) and finally 6 last classified played to see which three teams escaped relegation.
The Real Madrid League champion was crowned with 3 points over the FC Barcelona. The title was a dogfight between them as they already finished the regular season with a commanding lead over other rivals so those playoffs they had as expected, little meaning for the rest.
The fight to avoid relegation
Where if there was much excitement and 'tomato’ It was in the fight for relegation. As if there was not enough ruckus, street racing (in fact he had already begun the second round) it was decided to expand the League 18 a 20 teams, so only club to have declined Second division. A total bummer. The solution, a priori, it seemed simple, the last classified after the regular season and the consequent playoff descend. Well, no.
The Cádiz CF, who was then presiding Manuel Irigoyen (turn vice president of the Spanish Football Federation), He filed an appeal in which he considered that the regulations had been changed in the middle of the competition.. The leader understood that it was fair that the last three classified teams competed in a “mini liguilla” between them and descend that loser out.
The appeal was even accepted by the presidents of the Racing de Santander Y Osasuna (surely enough pressure). And they were the ones who gambled with themselves Cádiz CF. Finally the Cantabrian team despite the fact that they achieved 4 points more than gaditanos throughout the season, he went to second. All for being the worst of the three in that “liguilla death” He was baptized as.
Of course, as we said at the beginning of the article, This whole monstrosity/experiment was never repeated again.. Fortunately, The League was once again the tournament of regularity, yes, thereafter with 20 equipment and 38 journeys (except season 1995-1996 that it got 22).
