The list of teams who'll compete in the 2023/24 LaLiga SmartBank season is now complete. Following the promotion and relegation out of this division, and with three relegated LaLiga Santander teams dropping down, there were four spots left to complete the second tier of Spanish football for next term.
These final four clubs are now known. Two teams returning to LaLiga SmartBank after being relegated just one year ago, while one club is back after a 15-year absence and another returns having been below the second tier for 60 years. Racing de Ferrol, SD Amorebieta, AD Alcorcón and CD Eldense… here's all you need to know about them.
Racing Club Ferrol
This historic team from Galicia managed to be promoted to LaLiga SmartBank by the most direct route, coming up as champions of Group 1 of the Primera Federación. They put together a spectacular end to the season, taking five wins and two draws from their final seven games, with the squad coached by Cristóbal Parralo dominating at the business end of the season as their rivals stumbled.
With Manu Justo (12 goals) and Carlos Vicente (8 goals) leading the scoring, Racing relied on their sturdy defence to become, with 55 goals scored and 25 conceded, the second-top scorers and the team with the best goals against record, counting both groups. These were the fundamental pillars that led the Galician outfit back to the second division for the first time since the 2007/08 campaign.
SD Amorebieta
Tied on points with CD Eldense in Group 2, SD Amorebieta had the tiebreaker to become champions and earn automatic promotion to LaLiga SmartBank just a year after relegation. With a much-renewed squad and with calm and confidence at the heart of the club, the Basque side turned around a situation that began with many problems. By Matchday 7, the team sat in last place and at the end of the first half of the season they were in seventh.
But, a fantastic second half of the season saw Haritz Mújika's squad dethrone CD Eldense in the last few rounds. Boasting Eneko Jauregui as their star player with 15 goals and Xabi Etxeita as their 35-year-old leader, the club from Urritxe achieved a bounce back promotion to LaLiga SmartBank.
AD Alcorcón
AD Alcorcón have followed the same fast track path as SD Amorebieta to return to LaLiga SmartBank just one year later, although in their case it was a slightly longer road, that of the playoffs. The Madrid club, who led Group 1 for much of the season, eliminated Real Sociedad B and CD Castellón to spark joy at the Estadio Santo Domingo.
They achieved this impressive return with Fran Fernández in the dugout, with veterans such as Jean-Sylvain Babin, Pedro Mosquera and Javi Lara forming the spine of the team and with Chiki and Adrián Dalmau in charge of scoring the goals.
CD Eldense
By securing a dramatic triumph over Real Madrid Castilla in the second leg of the promotion playoff final, CD Eldense managed to return to the second tier after a 60-year absence. With Fernando Estévez at the helm, the Alicante side spent most of the season in an automatic promotion position, but had to take the long road to go up and achieve what is a remarkable third consecutive promotion.
With an exceptional Manu Nieto scoring in all four games of the playoffs, the club from the Estadi Nou Pepico Amat in Elda, in Alicante province, achieved another milestone with players who have entered the club's history books, such as Cris Montes and Manu Soberón.
