Real Oviedo’s fairytale return to La Liga has come to an end, with Los Carbayones set for an immediate return back to Segunda next season. A turbulent first five months of the season resulting in two managerial changes left Oviedo fighting an uphill battle early on.
A 1-1 draw between Rayo Vallecano and Girona courtesy of a late Cristhian Stuani goal in stoppage time confirmed that Oviedo could not mathematically stay up this season. Oviedo sit on 29 points, 10 behind Girona with three games to play, and are the first side to be relegated, seven points behind Levante in 19th and eight behind Alaves in 18th. Oviedo will finish their schedule with an away game against Real Madrid, a final home match at the Nuevo Carlos Tartiere against Alaves on Sunday, and the finale against RCD Mallorca at Son Moix.
Oviedo’s struggles before Guillermo Almada
Since Guillermo Almada arrived in December, Oviedo have been competitive, albeit still struggling to get wins over the line. Of their 29 points, Almada has been responsible for 19 of them in his 19 games, a rate which would likely be too short, but would have given them hope going into a softer final three fixtures. Before that, Real Oviedo had just 10 points from their 16 fixtures between Veljko Paunovic and Lluis Carrion, their first two managers. The controversial sacking of Paunovic, who secured promotion back to La Liga after 24 years, was followed by their worst run of form under Carrion.
‘We have many lessons to learn’ – Santi Cazorla
Despite the jubilation at their return, legendary midfielder Santi Cazorla admitted that it had been a tough year in Oviedo. During an event where Cazorla hinted that he may well be playing his final games, he said the club had to learn from their experience.
We have many lessons to learn from this season. Regarding club decisions, management, and the importance of everyone pulling together and maintaining our love for this club. It’s fundamental that this club remains united, at every level. This year, at times, we lost that unity, and we can’t let it happen again.”
