La Liga play-offs


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. 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.
SeasonWinnersLosers
1929Racing SantanderSevilla

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.
SeasonWinnerRunner-upThirdFourthFifthSixth
1935HérculesOsasunaCelta VigoSabadellMurciaValladolid
1936Celta VigoZaragozaArenasMurciaGironaXerez

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 to 1947, there was only one promotion/relegation game.
All games were played in a neutral venue.
SeasonWinnersLosers
1940Celta VigoDeportivo La Coruña
1941CastellónZaragoza
1941Deportivo La CoruñaMurcia
1942BarcelonaMurcia
1942OviedoSabadell
1943EspañolReal Gijón
1943GranadaValladolid
1944Deportivo La CoruñaConstancia
1944EspañolAlcoyano
1945Celta VigoGranada
1946EspañolGimnástico
1947Real SociedadMurcia
1950AlcoyanoGimnástico
1950MurciaOviedo

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.
SeasonWinnerRunner-upThirdFourthFifthSixth
1951Las PalmasZaragozaMálagaMurciaSabadellSalamanca
1952MestallaReal GijónReal SantanderAlcoyanoLogroñésFerrol
1953Deportivo La CoruñaEspaña IndustrialCelta VigoAtlético TetuánAvilésHércules
1954MálagaHérculesOsasunaBaracaldoLéridaJaén
1955EspañolReal SociedadOviedoAtlético TetuánZaragozaGranada
1956España IndustrialZaragozaOviedoMurciaBetisAlavés

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.
SeasonWinnersLosers
1959GranadaSabadell
1959Las PalmasLevante
1960Real SociedadCórdoba
1960ValladolidCelta Vigo
1961ElcheAtlético Ceuta
1961OviedoCelta Vigo
1962MálagaReal Santander
1962ValladolidEspañol
1963EspañolMallorca
1963LevanteDeportivo La Coruña
1964EspañolReal Gijón
1964OviedoHércules
1965MálagaLevante
1965SabadellMurcia
1966GranadaMálaga
1966SabadellCelta Vigo
1967BetisGranada
1967SevillaReal Gijón
1968CórdobaCalvo Sotelo
1968Real SociedadValladolid

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. 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.
SeasonWinnersLosers
1988MurciaRayo Vallecano
1988OviedoMallorca
1989MallorcaEspañol
1989TenerifeBetis
1990EspañolMálaga
1990TenerifeDeportivo La Coruña
1991CádizMálaga
1991ZaragozaMurcia
1992CádizFigueres
1992Deportivo La CoruñaBetis
1993AlbaceteMallorca
1993Racing SantanderEspañol
1994CompostelaRayo Vallecano
1994ValladolidToledo
1995Sporting GijónLleida
1995SalamancaAlbacete
1996ExtremaduraAlbacete
1996Rayo VallecanoMallorca
1997MallorcaRayo Vallecano
1998OviedoLas Palmas
1998VillarrealCompostela
1999Rayo VallecanoExtremadura
1999SevillaVillarreal

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.
SeasonPromotedFinalistSemifinalists
2011GranadaElcheCelta and Valladolid
2012ValladolidAlcorcónCórdoba and Hércules
2013AlmeríaGironaAlcorcón and Las Palmas
2014CórdobaLas PalmasMurcia and Sporting Gijón
2015Las PalmasZaragozaGirona and Valladolid
2016OsasunaGironaCórdoba and Gimnàstic
2017GetafeTenerifeCádiz and Huesca
2018ValladolidNumanciaSporting Gijón and Zaragoza
2019MallorcaDeportivo La CoruñaAlbacete and Málaga