We have to go back in time. The 1990/91 season. Real Zaragoza dismissed Ildo Maneiro with a record of seven wins, seven draws and 10 defeats. At the time, those figures were woeful for the side from La Romareda in the top flight.
A young Víctor Fernández took charge but could not secure survival. The team finished 17th and therefore had to play a relegation playoff against the third-placed side in the second division. That was Real Murcia, who were fighting for promotion to the top flight.
La Nueva Condomina Stadium, where Real Zaragoza will play this Sunday. Photo: Real Murcia
Real Zaragoza drew 0-0 at La Nueva Condomina in the first leg. In the return leg, they did what was required. At least enough to save a season that had begun badly and was only slightly repaired to avoid disaster. A 5-2 win over Real Murcia kept them in the top flight, allowing them to regroup and aim for greater heights.
THE FRUITS OF DISASTER
One season later, Real Zaragoza finished sixth and competed in the UEFA Cup. The following season, 1992/93, they reached only the round of 16 in European competition, losing to Borussia Dortmund. In the Copa del Rey, they reached the final, where Real Madrid, led by referee Urío Velázquez, won the title 2-0.
In 1993/94, they finished third in the top flight and won the Copa del Rey, earning the chance to compete in the European Cup Winners’ Cup. The brilliant 1994 Spanish Super Cup final against Cruyff’s Barça is often overlooked. After losing 0-2 at La Romareda, Real Zaragoza won 4-5 at Camp Nou and came close to completing the comeback.
The crowning moment for this generation of players came in Paris, on the famous 10 May 1995, when they lifted the European Cup Winners’ Cup. It also allowed them to play in the European Super Cup, which they lost to Van Gaal’s Ajax.
THE PLAYERS AND THE PARALLEL
That generation of players led by Víctor Fernández was brilliant. Cedrún, Belsué, Cáceres, Xavi Aguado, Solana, Higuera, Nayim, Aragón, Poyet, Pardeza and Esnáider are the starting eleven that every Zaragoza fan knows by heart.
During this spell in the second division, despite the numerous warnings the club has received in recent years, there has been no similar reaction. Unlike what has happened now, Real Zaragoza did not need relegation in 1991. And there had been no shortage of warnings. The closest example came in 2024/25, when they narrowly avoided dropping to the third tier.
A year later, the failure to learn from that experience led to relegation to the third tier. It is in these circumstances that they face Real Murcia. From the seed of the European Cup Winners’ Cup to a reunion in Primera RFEF. Will the disaster have been enough to prompt a correction?
