There are no excuses in the Second Division: either you compete or you are out.

It is striking that teams that were competing at a good level in the First Division just three years ago are now in the relegation zone of the Second Division. Even more curious is the fact that these teams are historic clubs like Deportivo de la Coruña (last place), Málaga (penultimate place), and Racing de Santander (third-to-last place). The latter has been promoted to the Second Division this season, but Málaga and Deportivo de la Coruña have already spent two seasons in the so-called "hell". Last season, they competed to be promoted in the playoffs; Deportivo de la Coruña eliminated Málaga but was ultimately eliminated in the final dispute by Mallorca.

What could have prompted this football crisis? Málaga started to decline when they signed Shinji Okazaki (33 years old), a Japanese forward who had just won the Premier League with Leicester City, but they couldn't afford to make good use of his talent. His contract was excessive for the current economic situation of the Malaga club, and there was no way to free up enough room in the salary cap for him to play officially. He is currently competing for Huesca. The economic situation has limited the reinforcements for the Andalusian team. The situation for Deportivo de la Coruña has been more of a setback in their game. It is a complicated situation for both teams (they have the same points: 8), but there are still 31 matchdays to turn things around. It is still early. At the moment, Deportivo has changed its coach (Luis César in place of Juan Antonio Anquela). Málaga continues to trust Víctor Sánchez del Amo.

The statistics are striking: Deportivo de la Coruña is the most scored against team and Málaga is the least scoring team. It is worth remembering the importance of both teams as references in the sports world. Europe knows them well, which is why their current situation is so surprising. The illustrious Superdepor, which won a league and two Copa del Rey titles, reached important stages of the Champions League, and was the team with the fewest goals conceded in a league championship (1993/1994). The powerful Málaga, which was eliminated from the Champions League (2012/2013) in the quarterfinals by Borussia Dortmund after cornering the German team in their own stadium. A Málaga filled with stars like Isco, Joaquín, and Cazorla. Two historic clubs that now coexist with a somewhat paradoxical reality. The end of the season will be the one to determine their fate. For now, it's time to work hard.