The La Liga play-offs are an annual series of football matches to determine the final promotion places within Segunda División and La Liga. In its current format, it involves the four teams that finish directly below the automatic promotion places from Segunda División to the top tier. These teams meet in a series of play-off matches to determine the final team that will be promoted. Reserve teams are not eligible for promotion.
The play-offs were first introduced in 1929 and have been staged at the conclusion of every season since, except between 2000 and 2010. Until 1999, it consisted in games between teams from both leagues, but when it was reinstated, it only involved four teams from Segunda División.
Results
1929 The first edition of La Liga and Segunda División finished with a promotion/relegation playoff between the champion of Segunda División and the last qualified team of La Liga. It was played with a double-leg format and Racing Santander remained in the top tier.
Season Winners Losers1929 Racing Santander Sevilla
1935–1936 In 1934, the Segunda División was expanded into three groups of 10 teams. The two first qualified teams of each group would play a final stage with a round-robin format. The two top teams, promoted to La Liga. Season Winner Runner-up Third Fourth Fifth Sixth1935 Hércules Osasuna Celta Vigo Sabadell Murcia Valladolid1936 Celta Vigo Zaragoza Arenas Murcia Girona Xerez
1940–1950 Just after the Spanish Civil War, the 1939–40 Segunda División was expanded into five groups where the winners joined the final stage. The champion promoted directly while the runner-up played a single-game to promote to La Liga.
In the next season, the Segunda División was reduced to two groups of 12 teams where the two top teams joined a final group. In this one, the winner and the runner-up promoted directly while the 3rd and 4th qualified played against the two last qualified teams in La Liga. The two winners achieved the spot for the top tier's next season. From 1945 (one year after the reduction of Segunda División to one only group) to 1947, there was only one promotion/relegation game.
All games were played in a neutral venue. Season Winners Losers1940 Celta Vigo Deportivo La Coruña1941 Castellón Zaragoza Deportivo La Coruña Murcia1942 Barcelona Murcia Oviedo Sabadell1943 Español Real Gijón Granada Valladolid1944 Deportivo La Coruña Constancia Español Alcoyano1945 Celta Vigo Granada1946 Español Gimnástico1947 Real Sociedad Murcia1950 Alcoyano Gimnástico Murcia Oviedo
1951–1956 For the leagues of the 1950s, when the Segunda División was divided into two groups, a new promotion/relegation system was created. The second and third qualified of each group and the 13th and 14th of La Liga, played by 16 teams, joined a round-robin group where the two top teams would promote to the next La Liga season.
Season Winner Runner-up Third Fourth Fifth Sixth1951 Las Palmas Zaragoza Málaga Murcia Sabadell Salamanca1952 MestallaDespite being the reserve team of Valencia, Mestalla played the tournament achieving a promotion spot. Finally, the RFEF did not allow the club to play in La Liga and Real Santander occupied its berth. Real Gijón Real Santander Alcoyano Logroñés Ferrol1953 Deportivo La Coruña España IndustrialDespite being the reserve team of Barcelona, España Industrial played the tournament achieving a promotion spot. Finally, the RFEF did not allow the club to play in La Liga and Celta Vigo occupied its berth. Celta Vigo Atlético Tetuán Avilés Hércules1954 Málaga Hércules Osasuna Baracaldo Lérida Jaén1955 Español Real Sociedad Oviedo Atlético Tetuán Zaragoza Granada1956 España IndustrialFor playing La Liga's next season, the club changed its name to CD Condal. Zaragoza Oviedo Murcia Real Betis Alavés
1959–1968 In 1958 the RFEF re-adopted the promotion/relegation play-offs system between teams from La Liga and Segunda División. Teams qualified in positions 13 and 14 of La Liga would face against the 3rd and 4th qualified in Segunda División. The two winners achieved the spot for the top tier's next season.
Season Winners Losers1959 Granada SabadellLas Palmas Levante1960 Real Sociedad CórdobaValladolid Celta Vigo1961 Elche Atlético CeutaOviedo Celta Vigo1962 Málaga Real SantanderValladolid Español1963 Español MallorcaLevante Deportivo La Coruña1964 Español Real GijónOviedo Hércules1965 Málaga LevanteSabadell Murcia1966 Granada MálagaSabadell Celta Vigo1967 Real Betis GranadaSevilla Real Gijón1968 Córdoba Calvo SoteloReal Sociedad Valladolid
1987–1999 In 1987 the LFP, with the expansion of La Liga to 20 teams, re-adopted the promotion/relegation play-offs between teams from La Liga and Segunda División. This time, the 17th and 18th qualified teams in La Liga would face the 3rd and 4th position teams of Segunda División, excluding reserve teams, with the team from the higher division usually hosts the second leg. The two winners of the double-legged play-offs would get a place in the next La Liga season. This format worked until 1999, when the LFP removed it and determined that three teams will directly promote or relegate.
In 1997, for reducing the number of teams in La Liga from 22 to 20, there was only one play-off game between the 18th qualified in La Liga and the third one of Segunda.
In gold, teams from La Liga and in silver, teams from Segunda División.
Season Winners Losers1988 Murcia Rayo VallecanoOviedo Mallorca1989 Mallorca EspañolTenerife Real Betis1990 Español MálagaTenerife Deportivo La Coruña1991 Cádiz MálagaZaragoza Murcia1992 Cádiz FigueresDeportivo La Coruña Real Betis1993 Albacete MallorcaRacing Santander Español1994 Compostela Rayo VallecanoValladolid Toledo1995 Sporting Gijón LleidaSalamanca AlbaceteDue to the La Liga expansion to 22 teams, Albacete remained in La Liga despite losing the play-offs.1996 Extremadura AlbaceteRayo Vallecano Mallorca1997 Mallorca Rayo Vallecano1998 Oviedo Las PalmasVillarreal Compostela1999 Rayo Vallecano ExtremaduraSevilla Villarreal
2011–present For the 2010–11 season, the Segunda División adopted the Football League play-offs format. While the two first qualified teams were directly promoted to La Liga's next season, teams qualified between third and sixth would take part in the play-offs. If a reserve team qualifies in one of these positions, its spot will be transferred to the next best qualified.
Fifth placed faces against the fourth, while the sixth positioned team faces against the third. The final is also two-legged. The best positioned team always plays at home on the second leg.
Since the second edition, a new rule was established: in case of a tied eliminatory there were extra time, once finished it, this season introduced that there would not be penalty shoot-out and the winner would be the best positioned team.
Season Promoted Finalist Semi-finalists2011 Granada Elche Celta Vigo and Valladolid2012 Valladolid Alcorcón Córdoba and Hércules2013 Almería Girona Alcorcón and Las Palmas2014 Córdoba Las Palmas Murcia and Sporting Gijón2015 Las Palmas Zaragoza Girona and Valladolid2016 Osasuna Girona Córdoba and Gimnàstic2017 Getafe Tenerife Cádiz and Huesca2018 Valladolid Numancia Sporting Gijón and Zaragoza2019 Mallorca Deportivo La Coruña Albacete and Málaga2020 Elche Girona Almería and Zaragoza2021 Rayo Vallecano Girona Almería and Leganés2022 Girona Tenerife Eibar and Las Palmas2023 Alavés Levante Albacete and Eibar2024 Espanyol Oviedo Eibar and Sporting Gijón2025 Oviedo Mirandés Almería and Racing Santander
Notes
References
External links LFP website