Two Wins, Nine Losses: A Brutal Opening Seven Matches
Fourteen total games, two victories, nine defeats. Gimnástica de Torrelavega and Rayo Cantabria occupy the bottom spots of Segunda RFEF Group 1, struggling through a difficult start to the season with only one win each across their opening seven matches, eldiariomontanes.es reported.
Gimnástica sits 17th in the standings with five points. Rayo Cantabria anchors the table in last place with four points. Combined, the two Cantabrian clubs have collected a joint record of two wins, three draws, and nine losses. Both squads face a difficult climb to escape the relegation zone after nearly a quarter of the league schedule has elapsed.
Rayo Cantabria Feels the Weight of Restructuring
Rayo Cantabria absorbed the heaviest early impact from the league’s restructuring, which replaced Castile and León opponents with Basque sides. Under manager Ezequiel Loza, the Santander reserve team faced opponents from Galicia, Asturias, and the Basque Country during the opening stretch.
Rayo managed a draw against Coruxo from Galicia, suffered defeats against Asturian sides Llanera and Vetusta, and lost to Basque opponents Sestao, Amorebieta, and Eibar B. The team secured its first win of the campaign by defeating Basconia.
Echoes of Relegation for Gimnástica
Gimnástica mirrors the difficult opening phase of its previous Segunda RFEF campaign during the 2024-25 season. In that prior year, the Torrelavega club also earned just three points from its first seven fixtures through draws against Escobedo, Rayo Cantabria, and Coruxo. That season ultimately ended in relegation despite three managerial changes involving Fran Martín, Jaime Álvarez, and Manu Calleja.
Some club supporters have called for the dismissal of current manager Mario Gutiérrez. However, sporting director Juan Arriola and club leadership renewed their confidence in Gutiérrez at the end of last season and expect the squad to reverse its fortunes.
Widespread Youth Woes Across Cantabria
Cantabria’s difficulties extend beyond the senior ranks into the División de Honor Juvenil, where four of the region’s five representatives occupy relegation places after six matches.
Marina Sport, Solares, and Bansander remain winless at the bottom of the youth standings. Gimnástica’s youth squad also dropped into the relegation zone following a defeat against Victoria, leaving them as the only one of the four struggling local sides with a win and a draw this term.
Racing Santander Prepares to Face League Leader Celta
Meanwhile, Racing Santander competes in the middle of the table under manager Samuel San José, sitting three points away from Copa del Rey qualification places.
Racing prepares to face league leader Celta, a side that has won all six of its matches without conceding a goal, at the Nando Yosu training facilities.