Almost as advertised as it was last season the descent into hell, materialized in the absence of three days for the end and after having only left the relegation zone for a week, this time it was the return to First Division for Espanyol, who had so clear their objective, their duty, that has put the direct until reaching it mathematically with four days still to go to conclude the championship in LaLiga Smartbank. The goal is now the title. Be champions.
It's about the greatest advantage in the five seasons that the Parakeet club has spent in Second throughout its long history. After the visit to Real Zaragoza, he had another 12 points at stake – at home against Cartagena and Tenerife, away against Ponferradina and Alcorcón – to return to the elite, but you will not need them. Maybe yes to be crowned champion. That was the position he ended up with in his transit through the category in the 1993-94 campaign. So the mathematical ascent It happened when there were three more days left, which the Espanyol of José Antonio Camacho, by the way, counted by defeats.
Much more epic, if not agonizing, were other promotions. Relatively peaceful was that of the 1969-70 season, because when the parakeets thrashed Elche Ilicitano (7-0) they still had a day of margin. But tachycardic were those of the academic years 1962-63 and 1989-90.
A playoff game required Espanyol in 1963 and a penalty shoot-out in 1990
In the first case, and after finishing second, Espanyol needed a tiebreaker match in their promotion against Mallorca –2-1 in Sarrià and in Palma–, which was played at the Bernabéu and was resolved with a goal from Manuel Idígoras with a quarter of an hour to go.
Almost three decades later, and also in a very equal promotion, penalties were reached in La Rosaleda after finishing both games 1-0, and after an endless run was resolved with a historic release by Alberto Albesa. Over the horn then, loosely today. The question is to go back to First. And not fall again.