The 2021/22 La Liga season will be 91st season of the Spanish top-flight league. The new season begins on the 13th of August 2021 and ends in May 2022.
Last season, Athletico Madrid emerged as champions while Huesca, Real Valladolid, and Eibar got relegated.
In this article, TOP SOCCER BLOG looks at the newly promoted La Liga teams for the 2021/22 season.
1. RCD ESPANYOL
Espanyol were the first club to secure promotion to the top flight for the 2021/22 season after winning the Segunda division title on the 8th of May 2021.
The club’s full name is Reial Club Deportivo Espanyol de Barcelona (Royal Spanish Sports Club of Barcelona). It is located in Barcelona city. The club’s nicknames are Periquitos (Budgerigars) and Blanquiazules (White and Blues).
Espanyol was founded 1900 and play their home matches at the RCDE Stadium, which has a 40,000 capacity. They are currently owned by the Rastar Group, with Chen Yanshueng as their President while their coach is Vicente Moreno.
Espanyol are returning back to La Liga after just a single season absence. They got relegated in the 2019/20 season after 26 consecutive years in the top flight.
Their fiercest rivals are fellow Catalan club, FC Barcelona.
Espanyol have won the Copa del Rey four times, the Segunda division twice and have reached the final of the UEFA Cup (now Europa League) twice, 1988 and 2007.
Some of their legendary former players are Mauricio Pochettino (PSG manager), Thomas N’Kono (legendary Cameroonian goalkeeper), and Raul Tamudo (club icon).
Some of their best current players are: Raul de Tomas, who finished as top scorer in the 2020/21 Segunda División, Wu Lei, Diego Lopez, Javi Puado, Adri Embarba, and Sergi Darder.
2. RCD MALLORCA
Mallorca return to La Liga after a year absence (like Espanyol) and got promoted automatically after finishing 2nd in the second division.
Fully known as Real Club Deportivo Mallorca and based in Palma, Island of Mallorca, it was founded in 1916.
The club’s home ground is the Visit Mallorca Stadium which has a 23,142 capacity.
They are nicknamed Los Bermollones (The Vermilions). They are owned by Robert Sarver, their President is Andy Kohlberg while Luis Garcia Plaza is their manager.
Mallorca peaked in the 90s, and 2000s finishing 3rd in La Liga in 1998/99 and 1999/2000, wọn the Copa del Rey in 2003, Supacopa de Espana in 1998, and reached the UEFA Cup Winners Cup final in 1999.
The club suffered a decline in 2010s, as they got relegated from La Liga in 2013 and worst still, to the 3rd division in 2017.
It bounced back to the top flight by securing consecutive promotions; first to the Segunda division in 2017/18 and to La Liga in 2018/19. But couldn’t keep its place in the top flight as it got relegated immediately.
Mallorca also bounced back again by securing an immediate return to the top flight for the 2021/22 season.
Legendary Cameroonian striker, Samuel Eto’o, began his senior career at Mallorca.
Some of the best players in Mallorca’s current squad are: Abdon Prats, Amath Ndiaye, Dani Rodriguez, Salva Sevilla, and Junior Lago.
3. RAYO VALLECANO
Rayo was the last club to secure promotion to La Liga for the 2021/22 season after winning the promotion Playoffs against Girona on the 20th of June 2021.
Rayo return to the top flight after a 2-year absence.
Rayo Vallecano was founded in 1924, and it is based in Vallecas, Madrid. The club’s home ground is the 14,708 capacity Campo de Futbol de Vallecas. Its nickname is Los Fronjirrojos (The Red Sashes).
The club is owned by Raul Martin Presa, who is also the President while the coach is Andoni Iraola.
Rayo are one of those clubs who regularly move between the top flight and the second division. Their highest finish in La Liga is 9th position in the 1999/00 season which earned them a place in the 2000/01 UEFA Cup (Europa League) in which they impressively reached the quarterfinals.
The club finished in 6th place in the Segunda division in 2020/21, which earned them a place in the promotion Playoffs. They managed to reach the playoff final, where they defeated Girona 3-2 on aggregate.
Some of Rayo Vallecano’s current best players are: Luca Zidane (son of Zinedine Zidane, he is a goalkeeper), Bebe (former Manchester United player), Isi Palazon, Antonio Cortes, Oscar Trejo and Catena
