1929 La Liga

The 1929 Primera División season was the inaugural season of the Primera Division. It started on 10 February 1929 and finished on 23 June 1929. A total of 10 teams participated in the league.

Primera División

Season	1929
Champions	Barcelona (1st title)
Matches played	90
Goals scored	383 (4.26 per match)
Top goalscorer	Paco Bienzobas (Real Sociedad, 17 goals)
Biggest home win	Athletic Bilbao 9–0 Europa
Biggest away win	Racing Santander 0–4 Athletic Bilbao
Longest winning run	6 matches Arenas Barcelona
Longest unbeaten run	11 matches Barcelona
Longest winless run	7 matches Racing Santander
Longest losing run	7 matches Racing Santander
1929–30 →

After the failure to create a national league in 1928, that ended with the teams split into two unconcluded leagues, an agreement with the Royal Spanish Football Federation was finally reached for the creation of a national league.

Barcelona won the title after beating Real Unión in the last round and taking advantage of the loss of Real Madrid at Athletic Bilbao. The Catalans were claimed the inaugural champions.

Election of teams

After months of discussion, on 23 November 1928 the creation of a championship divided in divisions was finalized.

The first division would be joined by the six teams that won any time the Spanish Championship (Arenas, Athletic Bilbao, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Real Sociedad and Real Unión) and three teams that qualified for at least one final (Athletic Madrid, Español and Europa).

The tenth place would be decided in a tournament where only the winner would join La Liga, while the rest of the participant teams played the Segunda División with Racing Madrid.

Qualifying tournament

Racing Santander achieved the last place in the inaugural season of La Liga after beating Sevilla in the second tie-break match.

	First round						Quarter-finals						Semi-finals						Final
							10–13 January – Chamartín de la Rosa
							Racing Santander		2	2
							Valencia		2	1
													23 January – Chamartín de la Rosa
													Real Betis			1
	25–26 December – Bilbao
													Racing Santander			2
	Oviedo		2	4
							13 January – Valencia
	Iberia		2	1
							Oviedo			0
	25 December – Madrid
							Real Betis			1
	Real Betis			2
																			3, 6, 9 February – Madrid
	Alavés			1
																			Racing Santander	1	2	2
																			Sevilla	1	2	1
							13 January – León
							Celta			3
							Sporting Gijón			2
													27 January – Madrid
													Sevilla			2
													Celta			1
							17 January – Madrid
							Sevilla			4
							Deportivo La Coruña			1

Team information

Ath. Bilbao

Madrid

Barcelona

R. Sociedad

Arenas

R. Unión

Racing

Location of teams in 1929 La Liga
Teams in Barcelona: Barcelona, Español, Europa
Teams in Madrid: Ath. Madrid, Real Madrid

Club	City	Stadium
Arenas	Getxo	Ibaiondo
Athletic Bilbao	Bilbao	San Mamés
Athletic Madrid	Madrid	Metropolitano
Barcelona	Barcelona	Les Corts
Español	Barcelona	Sarriá
Europa	Barcelona	El Guinardó
Racing Santander	Santander	El Sardinero
Real Madrid	Madrid	Chamartín
Real Sociedad	San Sebastián	Atocha
Real Unión	Irun	Gal

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Relegation
1	Barcelona (C)	18	11	3	4	37	23	+14	25
2	Real Madrid	18	11	1	6	40	27	+13	23
3	Athletic Bilbao	18	8	4	6	47	34	+13	20[lower-alpha 1]
4	Real Sociedad	18	8	4	6	46	41	+5	20[lower-alpha 1]
5	Arenas	18	8	3	7	33	43	−10	19
6	Athletic Madrid	18	8	2	8	43	41	+2	18[lower-alpha 2]
7	Español	18	7	4	7	32	38	−6	18[lower-alpha 2]
8	Europa	18	6	4	8	45	49	−4	16
9	Real Unión	18	5	2	11	40	42	−2	12
10	Racing Santander (O)	18	3	3	12	25	50	−25	9	Qualification for the relegation play-offs

Source: BDFútbol
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) goal difference; 5) number of goals scored.
(C) Champion; (O) Play-off winner.
Notes:

1. Athletic Bilbao finished ahead of Real Sociedad on head-to-head points: Athletic Bilbao–Real Sociedad 4–2, Real Sociedad–Athletic Bilbao 1–1.
2. Athletic Madrid finished ahead of Español on head-to-head goal difference: Athletic Madrid–Español 7–1, Español–Athletic Madrid 3–2

Results

Home \ Away	ARE	ATH	ATM	BAR	ESP	EUR	RAC	RMA	RSO	RUN
Arenas	—	1–0	2–3	0–2	3–0	2–2	2–1	3–2	3–0	1–1
Athletic Bilbao	2–3	—	3–3	5–1	9–0	2–0	0–0	2–0	4–2	2–1
Athletic Madrid	1–2	2–3	—	4–1	7–1	5–4	4–0	0–3	0–3	3–1
Barcelona	2–2	3–0	4–0	—	1–0	5–2	5–1	1–2	1–0	4–1
Español	1–2	4–1	3–2	1–1	—	3–1	3–0	4–0	1–1	3–2
Europa	5–2	1–1	4–1	1–1	0–3	—	4–1	5–2	4–3	3–3
Racing Santander	5–1	0–4	1–2	0–2	1–1	3–2	—	1–3	6–1	1–3
Real Madrid	2–0	5–1	2–1	0–1	2–0	5–0	2–2	—	2–1	2–0
Real Sociedad	3–2	1–1	3–3	3–0	1–1	5–4	8–1	5–4	—	3–2
Real Unión	7–1	6–3	1–2	1–2	4–3	2–3	3–1	0–2	2–3	—

Source: BDFútbol
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Relegation play-off

Last placed team Racing Santander faced Sevilla, winner of the 1929 Segunda División, in a two-legged play-off. Racing won 3–2 on aggregate, thus remaining in La Liga.

1929

Sevilla

2–1

Racing Santander

Seville

1929

Racing Santander

2–0 (3–2 agg.)

Sevilla

Santander

Top scorers

Rank	Goalscorers	Goal	Team
1	Paco Bienzobas	17	Real Sociedad
2	Cosme Vázquez	15	Athletic Madrid
3	Luis Marín	12	Athletic Madrid
	Lafuente		Athletic Bilbao
5	Manuel Parera	11	Barcelona
	Manuel Cros		Europa
	José María Yermo		Arenas
	Luis Regueiro		Real Unión
	Santiago Urtizberea		Real Unión
	Jaime Lazcano		Real Madrid
	Gaspar Rubio		Real Madrid

Source: [1]

Pichichi Trophy

Note: This list is the alternative top scorers list provided by newspaper Diario Marca, it differs from the one above which is based on official match reports

Goalscorers	Goal	Team
Paco Bienzobas	14	Real Sociedad
Lafuente	12	Athletic Bilbao
Luis Regueiro	12	Real Unión
Gaspar Rubio	12	Real Madrid

See also

• 1929 Copa del Rey

References

• La liga top scorers 1928/29

1. BDFútbol.com