Many La Liga fans can probably recall Barcelona’s record run of 43 undefeated league games. The longest streak ever by the Catalans extended through the 2017/18 top-flight season and only came to an end in their final match of a brilliant campaign.
But what about the less successful records? When looking at Spanish La Liga odds, it’s always important to size up not only the strengths of teams but their weaknesses too.
While there are celebrations of greatness, some clubs go through turmoil and struggles. Sometimes those struggles are so desperate that new league records are created. Here we look at some of the worst losing records that in the history of La Liga.
Espanyol’s Most La Liga Losses
Barcelona’s rivals, Espanyol hold a La Liga record. No team has lost more top-flight matches in Spain than Espanyol have. After two seasons back in the top flight, Espanyol suffered relegation at the end of the 2022-23 campaign.
One of the founding La Liga teams, that was their 87th season of Primera Division football, but now they have to rebuild once again. However, due to their lengthy history in the top flight, albeit with a lot of struggles, they have lost a record 1,152 La Liga matches, seventeen of those happening last term.
Sporting Gijon
But one thing that Espanyol have avoided, is picking up the record for the number of losses in a single La Liga campaign. That honour goes to Sporting Gijon, who lost 29 of 38 matches during their 1997-98 campaign.
It’s no surprise that the campaign ended in relegation for Gijon, who were rooted to the foot of the table. It was a shocking W2 D7 L29 record they produced, scoring only 31 times and conceding 80 goals. Those two victories? They were both home wins against Espanyol and Racing Santander.
Longest Losing Streak
Sporting Gijon’s miserable season surprisingly didn’t see them set a new record for the most consecutive defeats in a single La Liga campaign. That record has been held by Las Palmas since the early 1960s when they lost eleven straight La Liga matches.
The losing streak started in mid-December with a thumping 6-0 loss at Real Sociedad. The Canary Islands team also suffered some other big defeats in the run, like their 6-2 reverse against Real Zaragoza and an 8-0 hammering at the hands of Barcelona.
Las Palmas were relegated that season as they finished second from the bottom, with only Osasuna beneath them. On a brighter note, Las Palmas recorded two top-flight seasons where they never lost a single home match.
Most Home Losses
Cordoba are currently playing in the third tier of Spanish football, so Los Califas have a long way to go to start setting La Liga records. However, their 2014-15 La Liga season ended in huge disappointment for the Andalusians as they went straight back down to the second tier after finishing bottom.
During the campaign, they claimed just three victories and scored a paltry 22 goals. Worst of all was that they set a new record for most consecutive home losses in a single La Liga season of nine.
Cordoba were last in La Liga in the 2014-15 season, which was in turn their first time back in the top flight since the early 1970s. Their longest stay in the top flight was seven consecutive seasons between 1962 and 1969.
Struggles on the road for Hercules
What about the record for the most consecutive away losses in La Liga? This is something of a phenomenal record that has been standing since 1967. Hercules lost a staggering 25 consecutive top-flight away games between September 1955 and February 1967.
During the 1966-67 campaign, their first in the top flight since 1956, Hercules suffered relegation to the second tier. During that campaign they lost 17 of their away games, extending that away losing streak from their 1955-56 campaign.
They did recover to win two away games on their way to the second tier, beating Barcelona and Racing Santander. Sadly for the Los Herculanos their relegation from the second tier in 2014 started a slide further down the ladder and they are currently playing in the fourth tier.
