Almería’s Endless Search for First Win in La Liga Continues
The La Liga side remain the only team in the top 5 European leagues without a single win this season
On February 11th, U.D Almeria set a record they won’t be too proud of — as they became the team with the longest winless start to a La Liga season, going 24 games without a win. Doomed towards an early relegation, Almeria sit rock bottom in the league table, accruing a mere nine points in 26 matches. This downturn comes as a shock, especially considering their triumphant promotion from the Segunda Division in the 2021/22 season with an impressive tally of 81 points.
Upon their much-celebrated return to Spain’s top flight after seven seasons, Almería’s expectations were high. But in their first season in the Primera Division, they salvaged a narrow escape from relegation, finishing 17th with 41 points, just a point clear of the drop zone. Despite new reinforcements and changes in the managerial structure this season, the team’s fortunes have failed to improve. The appointment of Vicente Moreno as head coach, following the departure of Rubi (who brought them back to La Liga) didn’t really turn out the way Almeria expected. His side conceded 18 goals in 7 matches, drawing twice and losing five. Moreno was subsequently sacked and Alberto Lasarte was brought in as a caretaker for the first week in October.
Gaizka Garitano was hired in the middle of October, with the objective being clear: steer Almeria out of the relegation spots. His first match was a 5–2 thumping away from home at Girona, followed by a 1–2 loss to newly promoted Las Palmas at home. Despite that, he secured Almeria’s ONLY win of the season so far — a 2–0 victory in the Copa Del Rey first round against Segunda Federacion side C.F Talavera. However, in character with the rest of their season, they fell to UD Barbastro — also a team from Segunda Federacion — 1–0 in the very next round.
Garitano’s management has seen Almeria rack up six points, from their grand total of nine points this season. Under him, they drew against unlikely opponents like Atletico de Madrid, Athletic Bilbao and lost to both Barcelona and Real Madrid narrowly by scorelines of 3–2. Despite these efforts, as the season advances into March, the club’s winless record in the league still casts a shadow over their survival prospects.
The statistics underscore the magnitude of Almería’s plight:
1. With 26 games without a win, this is the WORST start to a La Liga season ever in the history of the competition. Previous holder — Sporting Gijon in 1997–98; started 23 games of the season without a win.
2. They have now gone 29 games in a row spanning two seasons without a win in La Liga, which is the longest winless streak in La Liga history.
With twelve matches remaining and a 12-point gap from safety, Almería’s prospects of avoiding relegation are grim. While their relegation company haven’t been excellent either, both Cadiz(18th) and Granada(19th), who sit at 18 and 14 points respectively, have managed to at least win two matches. The upcoming fixtures are very important for Almeria, including a crucial match against 17th place Celta de Vigo, where a result could drag Celta back while allowing Almeria to gain some momentum.
The coming weeks are crucial. If the team goes down though, they will have to recreate the magic of their promotion winning season and reclaim their spot in Spain’s premier football competition.
