For those who enjoyed Real’s eighties glory, the second League is probably the poor sister of the two consecutive ones achieved in the 80/81 and 81/82 seasons. Anyone who has been to Gijón will tell you that it is unparalleled. It was the first, it was achieved at the last minute, with thousands of Gipuzkoans in the stands of El Molinón…
But the second enjoys the exclusivity that gives it the fact of being the only major title (although shortly after, on December 28, 1982, the Super Cup would be held in Atotxa) conquered in Donostia. It was also the first of the two achieved against Athletic and it is still the last League that adorns the realistic showcases. Maybe that’s why he looked at her with nostalgia Peio Uralde when he took it from the corner where the trophies won by the club are displayed, which today is in the Anoeta locker room tunnel. Today is the 40th anniversary of that precious award.
14 goals that season
The gasteiztarra is one of those figures that appear more linked to that second title than to the first. Although the striker was already important in winning the League in 1980/81, in the second he won stripes with the departure of Idigoras and plugged in 14 ‘txitxarros’, even surpassing Satrústegui (13), despite playing as a winger. Four of them, moreover, turned out to be transcendental when they arrived in the last five days, in which Real moved up five points from Barcelona and one from Real Madrid to once again sing the alirón on the last day against Athletic.
The final day, Atotxa was abuzz
The txuri urdin had come to win the League so they started the 81/82 season with the favourites. The retention right, which allowed clubs like Real to keep top players like Arconada, Zamora, Satrústegui o Lopez Ufartethose Ormaetxea had almost the same staff in its ranks, with the aforementioned exception of Idigoras.
Uralde remember that “both the team and I started the season well. With a victory against Madrid and winning the first games away from home”. But after the first eight games, the forward was injured. “I broke my collarbone and was unemployed for a month.” His departure from the team coincided with a downturn away from home. La Real remained strong in Atotxa, but from matchday 8 to 30 they only managed to win in Gijón in their outings.
Mestalla: key victory
With that erratic trajectory away from Atotxa came the move to Valencia: Real was four points behind Barcelona. It was matchday 31 and the Blaugrana team had lost the day before in El Sadar. It was the great opportunity and also the last. If the txuri urdin won, they rejoined the fight for the title, since there was a Madrid-Barcelona match to play in the last days. “Perico Alonso he always says that we won the League there”, remembers Uralde. La Real achieved victory in the last minute thanks to a goal from Alava, which announced that the Ormaetxea they had recovered their best version at the decisive moment. “It was a game we had to win and we were lucky enough to achieve that victory and practically depend on ourselves because Barça had to play in Madrid”. The following week, back in Atotxa, another goal from Uralde (and another from Satrústegui) allowed them to overcome a tough Espanyol (2-1).
Uralde, with the title of the second League
There were two days left. Osasuna-Real and Madrid-Barça, in the penultimate; and Real-Athletic and Barça-Betis, in the last one. Can you imagine the suspicions that this ending with two derbies in the last two games would raise today? So he did too: “There have always been suspicions. In fact, a few years later derbies were banned in the last days. But in reality there was nothing at all.” The goalless draw at El Sadar allowed Real to reach the match against Athletic in Atotxa on the last day holding the lead, since it came accompanied by the defeat of the Catalans in Chamartín.
Uralde endlessly remember the hours that passed until that historic derby. “The city was dedicated, there was a great football atmosphere, but what we wanted was for the ball to start rolling as soon as possible”.
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Sarabia scored and wanted more
Zamora y Lopez Ufartein 57′ and 64′ they put Real ahead before Sarabia put a lump in the throat of all those present in Atotxa with a goal in 87. But Uralde assures that they did not fear for the title, despite the fact that Athletic was not limited to being a stone guest: “Over the years we remember how it was Sarabia running for the ball after scoring. And it is that when you are in a field, even in training with friends, what you want is to win. After the goal, “they didn’t push hard. There were only a few minutes left and they had no choice.” And the party broke out. “The field was filled to the brim and the celebrations were a joy. One of the most beautiful things I have experienced as an athlete. The fans entered the field to celebrate with us”, recalls Uralde.
After the first League, winning the second seemed “normal”, but with the passage of time “you value it more. See if we get something important that after 40 years you are doing an interview with me”. Years go by and the importance of these idols that made La Real great is still valid. Last year, in La Cartuja, they found relief, but Uralde, Zamora, Satrústegui, Arconada and company continues to have the honor of being the only champions of the Real League and the last to take it to the showcase. They did it on April 25, 1982. Exactly 40 years ago.