Ronaldo Luiz Nazario da Lima arrived in Valladolid in 2018 talking about Europe but the only foreign territory that has set foot in his Pucela in five years has been Andorra, where he lost in March against a relegating rival. Real Valladolid has had a strange season in the hyper-emotional Second Division, with everything at stake up and down with two games left. The fans, confronted with the coach, have had enough of singing “Pezzolano resignation”; The president and his board receive a good dose of criticism while the ball has entered the rival goal: Pucela has a second promotion in three years, the third with the Brazilian in charge, accompanied by two other relegations, an unprecedented phenomenon in the history of the entity. The Blanquivioletas, with an apparently friendly schedule, beat one point behind Leganés and another above Eibar, both with substantial games.
The tachycardia campaign of the silver category, where anyone beats anyone and any mess is possible, leaves three candidates for the two positions that lead directly to First Division. Leganés, after a threat of deflating in the final stretch after months of heavy-handedness and tough, efficient play, leads the shortlist with a visit to Ferrol on Sunday, pushing for promotion league options and hosting Elche in Butarque, also with that aim. The Castilians, after a season of ups and downs resolved with more individual than collective quality, are coming strong, with nine games without defeat and waiting for the almost condemned Villarreal B in Zorrilla before visiting Tenerife, on vacation since April. Eibar will set foot in El Molinón against a Sporting team looking for league options and will close the season at home against Oviedo, harassed precisely by the people from Gijón. Conclusion: pepineros and pucelanos look at the armeros knowing that if they win both games, or if they fail but the Basques don’t get six out of six, they will return to La Liga. Leganés will go up this Sunday if they win and Eibar does not do so in Asturias; Valladolid depends on winning and the gunsmiths losing. If they beat Sporting, everything will be settled the following weekend.
Real Valladolid looks askance at the calendar while focusing on the yellow mini Submarillo. Leaving the Second Division seemed like a chimera when in March they were lost in Andorra and Ferrol, delving into a terrible image of the game and training, but the defensive strengthening, the stronghold at home and the appearance of differential names has led those of the questioned Pezzolano to depend of themselves. Even Negredo, amidst accusations of football retirement, saved the team to earn a draw in Alcorcón and remain ahead of Eibar. The equality of the championship has also helped and the fact that none of the top ten has stood in the final stretch with enough repris to unseat the main candidates. The Pucelana streak, seasoned with five consecutive wins amid doubts about the competition, left in their boots the ability to return to the elite of Spanish football.
Valladolid’s favorable position contrasts with the tense atmosphere beyond the 90 minutes of play per week. Part by part. Ronaldo’s board fired Pacheta in 2023, out of relegation in First Division, and hired the inexperienced Paulo Pezzolano, with whom they fell after two final days without a shot on goal. The Uruguayan continued in the position and not even in a lower step managed to attract the stands, upset with the poor proposal from his team and with the attitude of the coach, who repeatedly clashed with the fans. The club’s leadership also backed down on one of its main, and unilateral, decisions: changing the shield. The crowd clamored against it for months until the leadership accepted the clamor and opened a referendum that largely resulted in a return to the old banner, which will return as soon as this campaign closes. The gray sporting balance, with ups and downs between divisions, undermines the advances in those years in terms of infrastructure, professionalization and youth, invisible when the first team does not find stability. The fans have responded this time with historic highs in subscribers in both First and Second.
There are two matches left to determine the balance of the 42 events of the tournament that began in August and the football news has been affected by the commercial news. The Valladolid construction company Inexo has admitted interest in acquiring Real Valladolid since Ronaldo has been open for some time to parting with his presidential adventure, expanded shortly after with the purchase of the Brazilian Cruzeiro. The information was provided by Cadena Ser Valladolid and detailed the details: both contributions have signed a “non-binding letter of intent” where they describe amounts, deadlines and dates. The entity would pay 10 million euros now and another 18.8 million later for 66% of Ronaldo’s shareholding and both have agreed a total of 33 million if Real Valladolid remains in Second and up to 47 if they are in First. The company has admitted the contacts but the club currently denies it.
The business news resonates in the background as if before a day of transistors with a unified schedule: Valladolid, Leganés and Eibar pending both their own and the performance of their rivals. The calculator is smoking because, except for Tenerife, Cartagena and Albacete, the other teams have at stake direct promotion, the league or falling to 1st RFEF. Therefore, the crossed duels and their potential meaning in the face of the last day invite the cabalistic while at the top there is only one certainty: if Pucelanos and Madrid do their homework, or if the Eibarres skate, both will be celebrating.
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