Throughout the 1990’s and 2000’s, Racing Santander were a regular feature in Spain’s topflight, but since relegation in the summer of 2012, the club based in the Cantabria community has seemingly dropped off the face of the Earth.
It was a dramatic decline for Racing after a decade uninterrupted in La Liga as 20th place in the topflight in 2011/12 was followed up by a 20th finish the next season in the Segunda Division thus confirming back to back relegations.
A familiar tale of economic issues was the main reason for the plight of the club and in January 2014, things reached boiling point with players refused to play their upcoming cup match unless they were paid wages owed to them over receiving no pay for several months.
Ironically, that season, Racing managed to win their Segunda B group and the playoff to earn promotion but were dumped out of the Copa Del Rey at the quarter-final stage with Real Sociedad after the Racing players gathered in the centre circle after kick off of their second leg and refused to play.
Promotion back to the Segunda was quickly followed by relegation back to the third regional tier once again for the next four seasons.
2018/19 brought success as Racing again topped their group and earned promotion but before suspension of the league this campaign, things were not going so well.
As the season was postponed, Racing found themselves rock bottom of the table with just four wins to their name and relegation an almost certainty.
Former Levante and Deportivo manager José Luis Oltra was brought into the club in February and immediately results improved registering two wins and a draw in his five games in charge to date but any momentum has been wiped out.
Money once again is the main reason for the decline of a once proud La Liga side that in 1931 finished runners up in the Spanish topflight.
It is a long road ahead for the Highlanders, but they still boast a ferocious support and impressive stadium despite their current lowly status.
The only way is up.
