# 1929 La Liga

The 1929 Primera División season was the inaugural season of the Primera División. It started on 10 February 1929 and finished on 23 June 1929. A total of 10 teams participated in the league.
After the failure to create a national league in 1928, that ended with the teams split into two unconcluded leagues, an agreement with the Royal Spanish Football Federation was finally reached for the creation of a national league.
Barcelona won the title after beating Real Unión in the last round and taking advantage of the loss of Real Madrid at Athletic Bilbao. Therefore, the Catalans were proclaimed the inaugural champions.

## Election of teams

After months of discussion, on 23 November 1928 the creation of a championship divided in divisions was finalized.
The first division would be joined by the six teams that won any time the Spanish Championship (Arenas, Athletic Bilbao, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Real Sociedad and Real Unión) and three teams that qualified for at least one final (Athletic Madrid, Español and Europa).
The tenth place would be decided in a tournament where only the winner would join La Liga, while the rest of the participant teams played the Segunda División with Racing Madrid.

### Qualifying tournament

Racing Santander achieved the last place in the inaugural season of La Liga after beating Sevilla in the second tie-break match.
| First round | First round | First round | First round | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | | | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | | | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| | | | | 10–13 January – Chamartín de la Rosa | 10–13 January – Chamartín de la Rosa | 10–13 January – Chamartín de la Rosa | 10–13 January – Chamartín de la Rosa | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Racing Santander | Racing Santander | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Valencia | Valencia | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | 23 January – Chamartín de la Rosa | 23 January – Chamartín de la Rosa | 23 January – Chamartín de la Rosa | 23 January – Chamartín de la Rosa | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | Real Betis | Real Betis | Real Betis | 1 | | |
| 25–26 December – Bilbao | 25–26 December – Bilbao | 25–26 December – Bilbao | 25–26 December – Bilbao | | | | | | | | | | Real Betis | Real Betis | Real Betis | 1 | | |
| 25–26 December – Bilbao | 25–26 December – Bilbao | 25–26 December – Bilbao | 25–26 December – Bilbao | | | | | | | Racing Santander | Racing Santander | Racing Santander | 2 | | |
| Oviedo | Oviedo | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | Racing Santander | Racing Santander | Racing Santander | 2 | | |
| Oviedo | Oviedo | 2 | 4 | 13 January – Valencia | 13 January – Valencia | 13 January – Valencia | 13 January – Valencia | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Iberia | Iberia | 2 | 1 | 13 January – Valencia | 13 January – Valencia | 13 January – Valencia | 13 January – Valencia | | | | | | | | |
| Iberia | Iberia | 2 | 1 | Oviedo | Oviedo | Oviedo | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| 25 December – Madrid | 25 December – Madrid | 25 December – Madrid | 25 December – Madrid | | | | Oviedo | Oviedo | Oviedo | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| 25 December – Madrid | 25 December – Madrid | 25 December – Madrid | 25 December – Madrid | Real Betis | Real Betis | Real Betis | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| Real Betis | Real Betis | Real Betis | 2 | Real Betis | Real Betis | Real Betis | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| Real Betis | Real Betis | Real Betis | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3, 6, 9 February – Madrid | 3, 6, 9 February – Madrid | 3, 6, 9 February – Madrid | 3, 6, 9 February – Madrid |
| Alavés | Alavés | Alavés | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3, 6, 9 February – Madrid | 3, 6, 9 February – Madrid | 3, 6, 9 February – Madrid | 3, 6, 9 February – Madrid |
| Alavés | Alavés | Alavés | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | Racing Santander | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Sevilla | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| | | | | 13 January – León | 13 January – León | 13 January – León | 13 January – León | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Celta | Celta | Celta | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Sporting Gijón | Sporting Gijón | Sporting Gijón | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | 27 January – Madrid | 27 January – Madrid | 27 January – Madrid | 27 January – Madrid | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | Sevilla | Sevilla | Sevilla | 2 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | Celta | Celta | Celta | 1 | | |
| | | | | 17 January – Madrid | 17 January – Madrid | 17 January – Madrid | 17 January – Madrid | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Sevilla | Sevilla | Sevilla | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Deportivo La Coruña | Deportivo La Coruña | Deportivo La Coruña | 1 | | | | | | | | |

## Team information

| Club | City | Stadium |
| Arenas | Getxo | Ibaiondo |
| Athletic Bilbao | Bilbao | San Mamés |
| Athletic Madrid | Madrid | Metropolitano |
| Barcelona | Barcelona | Les Corts |
| Español | Barcelona | Sarriá |
| Europa | Barcelona | El Guinardó |
| Racing Santander | Santander | El Sardinero |
| Real Madrid | Madrid | Chamartín |
| Real Sociedad | San Sebastián | Atocha |
| Real Unión | Irun | Gal |

## League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Relegation |
| 1 | Barcelona (C) | 18 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 37 | 23 | +14 | 25 | |
| 2 | Real Madrid | 18 | 11 | 1 | 6 | 40 | 27 | +13 | 23 | |
| 3 | Athletic Bilbao | 18 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 47 | 34 | +13 | 20 | |
| 4 | Real Sociedad | 18 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 46 | 41 | +5 | 20 | |
| 5 | Arenas | 18 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 33 | 43 | −10 | 19 | |
| 6 | Athletic Madrid | 18 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 43 | 41 | +2 | 18 | |
| 7 | Español | 18 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 32 | 38 | −6 | 18 | |
| 8 | Europa | 18 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 45 | 49 | −4 | 16 | |
| 9 | Real Unión | 18 | 5 | 2 | 11 | 40 | 42 | −2 | 12 | |
| 10 | Racing Santander (O) | 18 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 25 | 50 | −25 | 9 | Qualification for the relegation play-offs |
* 1 2 Athletic Bilbao finished ahead of Real Sociedad on head-to-head points: Athletic Bilbao–Real Sociedad 4–2, Real Sociedad–Athletic Bilbao 1–1.
* 1 2 Athletic Madrid finished ahead of Español on head-to-head goal difference: Athletic Madrid–Español 7–1, Español–Athletic Madrid 3–2

## Results

| Home \ Away | ARE | ATH | ATM | BAR | ESP | EUR | RAC | RMA | RSO | RUN |
| Arenas | — | 1–0 | 2–3 | 0–2 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 3–2 | 3–0 | 1–1 |
| Athletic Bilbao | 2–3 | — | 3–3 | 5–1 | 9–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 2–1 |
| Athletic Madrid | 1–2 | 2–3 | — | 4–1 | 7–1 | 5–4 | 4–0 | 0–3 | 0–3 | 3–1 |
| Barcelona | 2–2 | 3–0 | 4–0 | — | 1–0 | 5–2 | 5–1 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 4–1 |
| Español | 1–2 | 4–1 | 3–2 | 1–1 | — | 3–1 | 3–0 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 3–2 |
| Europa | 5–2 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 0–3 | — | 4–1 | 5–2 | 4–3 | 3–3 |
| Racing Santander | 5–1 | 0–4 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–2 | — | 1–3 | 6–1 | 1–3 |
| Real Madrid | 2–0 | 5–1 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 5–0 | 2–2 | — | 2–1 | 2–0 |
| Real Sociedad | 3–2 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 5–4 | 8–1 | 5–4 | — | 3–2 |
| Real Unión | 7–1 | 6–3 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 4–3 | 2–3 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 2–3 | — |

## Relegation play-off

Last placed team Racing Santander faced Sevilla, winner of the 1929 Segunda División, in a two-legged play-off. Racing won 3–2 on aggregate, thus remaining in La Liga.

## Top scorers

| Rank | Goalscorers | Goal | Team |
| 1 | Paco Bienzobas | 17 | Real Sociedad |
| 2 | Cosme Vázquez | 15 | Athletic Madrid |
| 3 | Luis Marín | 12 | Athletic Madrid |
| 3 | Lafuente | 12 | Athletic Bilbao |
| 5 | Manuel Parera | 11 | Barcelona |
| 5 | Manuel Cros | 11 | Europa |
| 5 | José María Yermo | 11 | Arenas |
| 5 | Luis Regueiro | 11 | Real Unión |
| 5 | Santiago Urtizberea | 11 | Real Unión |
| 5 | Jaime Lazcano | 11 | Real Madrid |
| 5 | Gaspar Rubio | 11 | Real Madrid |
Source:

### Pichichi Trophy

Note: This list is the alternative top scorers list provided by newspaper Diario Marca, it differs from the one above which is based on official match reports
| Goalscorers | Goal | Team |
| Paco Bienzobas | 14 | Real Sociedad |
| Lafuente | 12 | Athletic Bilbao |
| Luis Regueiro | 12 | Real Unión |
| Gaspar Rubio | 12 | Real Madrid |