Celta Vigo participates in the Europa League, Rayo Vallecano in the Conference League
Celta Vigo secured a spot in the Europa League with a remarkable comeback against Getafe, marking their return to European competition after a lengthy absence. In the final match of the La Liga season, Getafe went ahead at home just 11 minutes in, thanks to a goal by Borja Maioral. However, Celta Vigo displayed remarkable resilience, with Borja Iglesias equalizing for them at the 25th minute.
A late red card, issued to a Celta Vigo player for impeding a Getafe player from reaching their goal, did not deter the Galicians. Instead, they were inspired by Iago Aspas, who scored the deciding goal, his 10th in the league, at the brink of full-time. With this victory, Celta Vigo finished the season in 7th place, securing a European spot ahead of Rayo Vallecano and Osasuna who occupied the 8th and 9th positions, respectively.
Aspas, the team's captain, has played the majority of his career with Celta, with stints at Liverpool and Sevilla being the exceptions. In total, he has played over 500 games and scored more than 200 goals for the Galicians.
This marks the second return to European competitions for Celta Vigo, following their semifinal appearance in the 2016/17 Europa League. They had taken a break from European competition since then. Rayo Vallecano, who also returned to European competition, vied for the Conference League position, eventually securing it after a goalless draw at home against Mallorca.
Elsewhere in La Liga, relegation-threatened Leganés was unable to avoid relegation, despite winning 3-0 against the already doomed Valladolid. Real Madrid clinched a 2-0 victory over Real Sociedad, 'stealing' the Golden Boot from Swedish Sporting's Viktor Gyökeres. Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, occupying fourth and third positions respectively, are set to play their final matches this week, while Villarreal, who qualified for the Champions League, will host Sevilla.
Celta Vigo's return to European competition follows a significant drought in participation since their last stint in the 2016/17 Europa League. The club has shown resilience and spirit throughout the season under coach Claudio Giraldez and the inspiring leadership of Iago Aspas. The city of Vigo celebrated this achievement with promises of honors and even a potential statue for Aspas.
Celta Vigo, under the guidance of coach Claudio Giraldez and inspired by Iago Aspas, not only returned to European competition but also secured a spot in the Europa League after a long absence, demonstrating their resilience in football. This achievement, marked by Aspas' 10th league goal, follows their last stint in the 2016/17 Europa League, where they played in the semifinals but had since taken a break from European competition.
