Heartbreak for Ronaldo as Real Valladolid Crash Out of LaLiga Following Betis Blowout

Ronaldo’s Real Valladolid have suffered a painful relegation from LaLiga following a heavy 5-1 defeat at the hands of Real Betis on Thursday. This marks the third time in just seven years that the club, owned by Brazilian football legend Ronaldo, has been demoted.

The relegation comes amidst reports that Ronaldo is negotiating the sale of the club, and it’s likely to intensify the criticism he has faced from Valladolid fans. They have accused him of being detached and not investing enough attention in the team’s affairs.

Bottom-placed Valladolid have endured a dismal run of form, losing 13 of their last 14 matches, and their goal difference stands at a concerning negative 57. The crushing loss to Betis was the culmination of a turbulent season that saw two managerial changes, with Diego Cocca and Paulo Pezzolano both being sacked before former Valladolid player Álvaro Rubio took charge in February.

Despite the disappointment, Rubio offered a frank assessment of their performance. “We can’t make up excuses,” he said. “We didn’t play up to the level of the first division. We have to take responsibility and accept that we didn’t do things well. We have to try to get back up and finish the season with dignity.”

Interestingly, this isn’t the first time Valladolid have faced relegation under Ronaldo’s ownership. They were also demoted after the 2020-21 and 2022-23 seasons, but they managed to bounce back to the top flight immediately on both occasions.

For Real Betis, Isco was among the goal scorers as they secured a comfortable victory. With their second consecutive win, they moved up to fifth place in the league standings.

Elsewhere in the relegation battle, two more spots remain undecided. Leganés, currently second-to-last, fought to a 1-1 draw against Girona thanks to a late goal from Munir El Haddadi, despite playing with ten men for the majority of the match. They are now two points behind 18th-placed Las Palmas and four points adrift of Alavés, the first team outside the relegation zone. Sevilla remain in 15th place after a 1-0 loss to eighth-place Osasuna, who themselves played with an extra man for a significant portion of the game and have now won three in a row after a nine-game winless streak. Sevilla, in contrast, is without a win in their last six matches.