14 years of waiting — one night of history
15 August 2026 will go down as a landmark date in Racing Santander's history. The club, who last played in La Liga in the 2011/12 season, returned to the top flight after 14 years of lower-division football. El Sardinero was packed to capacity — supporters were cheering from the warm-up onwards.
And the reward came immediately in the result. Racing drew 2:2 with Villarreal in a dramatic match. The Yellow Submarine, a club that regularly competes in European football, arrived in Santander as clear favourites. Racing had other ideas.
Twice in front and a hard-earned draw
Racing led twice during the match. The El Sardinero crowd erupted with joy at each goal. Villarreal fought back and eventually earned a draw, but a single point from the trip to Santander is far from the result they would have wanted. For Racing, a draw with Villarreal on the opening day is an enormous achievement — proof that their return to La Liga will not simply be a points-harvesting exercise for opponents.