Fourteen years is a long time to wait. For one club in northern Spain, that wait is finally over. The Racing Santander La Liga 2026/27 campaign kicks off this weekend, and the Cantabrian coast is buzzing. Their supporters have earned this. So has the club.
Many English-speaking fans will watch them and ask a simple question. Who are these guys, exactly?
This guide answers that. It covers the squad, the fixtures, the history and the survival odds. Keep the live La Liga table open alongside it.
How Long Have Racing Santander Been Out of La Liga?
Racing Santander spent 14 years outside La Liga. They were relegated in 2012 and returned for the 2026/27 season.
That number understates the damage, though. The club did not simply drop into the second tier and bounce back. They kept falling. A year after relegation, they slid into the third tier of Spanish football.
Racing then spent almost a decade bouncing between the lower divisions. They won Primera Federación in 2022 to climb back into Segunda. Four more seasons followed before the final step.
So the Racing Santander La Liga return is not a quick round trip. It is a rescue mission that took most of a generation.
Which Teams Were Promoted to La Liga for 2026/27?
Racing Santander, Deportivo La Coruña and Málaga all went up. Racing finished top, Deportivo second, and Málaga came through the play-offs.
Three former giants arrived together, which makes this an unusual year. The newly promoted La Liga teams 2026/27 group carries serious history between them.
Racing sealed it first. On 16 May 2026, they beat Real Valladolid to confirm promotion with two rounds still to play. They finished as Segunda División champions 2025/26 on 82 points, five clear of Deportivo.
Deportivo followed a week later, ending an eight-year absence. Málaga completed the set through the play-offs, years after a financial collapse nearly finished them.
Meanwhile, Mallorca, Girona and Real Oviedo went the other way. Oviedo finished bottom on 29 points, as the final 2025/26 La Liga standings show.
Full division details sit on the official LaLiga website.
Racing Santander History: A Founding Father of Spanish Football
Racing are not newcomers dressed up as a story. They are one of the ten founding members of La Liga.
The club formed on 23 February 1913 as Santander Racing Club. Its full name today is Real Racing Club de Santander. Locals call them the verdiblancos, thanks to those famous green-and-white stripes.
Their peak came in the 2000s. Racing qualified for the UEFA Cup in 2008 under Marcelino. That squad felt sustainable. It was not.
Spanish football has climbed a long way since. La Roja lifted the trophy last month, as covered in our World Cup final 2026 report. Racing’s return adds another proud name to that resurgent league.
Why Were Racing Santander Relegated?
Racing Santander were relegated in 2012 after a takeover collapsed and left the club broke. Sporting failure followed financial failure, not the other way round.
Indian-based businessman Ahsan Ali Syed bought the club in 2011. He promised heavy investment. The money never really arrived.
Wages went unpaid. Players later staged a famous protest, refusing to play a cup tie. The club entered administration and the squad drained away.
Racing dropped out of La Liga in 2012, then out of Segunda in 2013. The third tier followed. It was a total institutional collapse, and the term “sleeping giant” barely covered it.
That context matters. It explains why this promotion means so much in Santander.
Who Owns Racing Santander Now?
Argentine businessman Sebastián Ceria is the majority shareholder, holding roughly 74% through Sebman Sports International. Manolo Higuera serves as club president.
Ceria made his money in financial technology before turning to football. He also chairs the Real Racing Club Foundation. His stated aim was stability first, ambition second.
That approach worked. The club steadied its finances, then climbed. Ceria has since revealed that Racing carry around 18,000 season ticket holders, leaving only about 4,000 seats on general sale each week.
Demand now outstrips supply badly. He reported a waiting list of roughly 12,000 more supporters wanting tickets.
El Sardinero: The Stadium and the Expansion Plan
Racing play at Campos de Sport de El Sardinero, usually shortened to El Sardinero. The current ground opened in 1988 and holds around 22,500 spectators.
It sits in a spectacular spot. The Picos de Europa mountains rise behind it, and the Cantabrian Sea stretches out in front.
The club wants more. In October 2025, Racing unveiled the “Nuevo Sardinero” project with architects IDOM. The €68m plan would lift capacity to 27,000 and add Santander’s largest public plaza.
Higuera called the existing stadium too small and outdated. The club has proposed a public-private funding model, since Santander City Council owns the ground.
El Sardinero Tickets: What Visiting Fans Should Know
Getting in will be hard this season. With 18,000 members already locked in, general sale allocations are thin.
Away supporters should book through their own club’s official channels wherever possible. Neutral fans should watch the official Racing website for individual match releases, which tend to go fast.
Plan early. Do not turn up in Santander expecting a walk-up ticket.
Racing Santander Squad 2026/27
The Racing Santander squad 2026/27 blends promotion heroes with fresh top-flight experience. Sporting director recruitment focused on quality over quantity, and the depth still looks thin in places.
Sergio Canales Racing Santander: The Homecoming
The headline signing came home. Sergio Canales returned to Racing in July 2026 on a deal running until 2028.
Canales came through the Racing academy before moving to Real Madrid in 2010. Long spells at Real Sociedad and Real Betis followed, plus caps for Spain. He then spent three years at Monterrey in Mexico.
He called the return the most important moment of his career. That is not marketing talk. Canales is a Santander native, and racinguismo runs deep in him.
He also brings genuine La Liga pedigree, set-piece delivery and leadership. For a promoted side, that matters enormously.
Spanish midfielders are having a moment, too. Our profile of Rodri’s Golden Ball campaign explains why control now beats chaos.
Andrés Martín, Iñigo Vicente and the Promotion Core
Andrés Martín Racing Santander fans already adore. He finished as the club’s leading scorer in the promotion campaign with 20 league goals.
Iñigo Vicente Racing supporters rate just as highly. The playmaker registered 18 assists last season and posted the squad’s best average match rating. Creators win matches quietly, a point we made about Michael Olise’s assist numbers this summer.
Asier Villalibre provides the physical focal point up front. He scored 14 times in Segunda, and Racing exercised their purchase option with Deportivo Alavés to keep him.
Peio Canales adds energy through midfield. Jokin Ezkieta remains first choice in goal.
Other key Racing Santander players include Álvaro Mantilla, Javi Castro and Mario García in defence.
Racing Santander New Signings 2026
Beyond Canales, Racing moved for squad depth rather than stars. Recruitment included Jaime Mata, Hugo Martín from Almería, Swedish goalkeeper Simon Eriksson from Elfsborg, Manex Lozano from Athletic Club B and Giorgi Guliashvili.
Departures thinned the ranks too. Jeremy Arévalo left for VfB Stuttgart, while Clément Michelin joined Real Valladolid.
Lozano is one to track. Promoted clubs often hand debuts to academy graduates, and several names on our list of footballers set to define 2026–2030 started exactly this way.
The window has not closed. Expect one or two more additions before deadline day, particularly in defence.
Racing Santander Starting XI: The Likely Shape
A realistic Racing Santander starting XI looks like this on paper.
Ezkieta in goal. A back four of Mantilla, Castro, Manu and Mario García. Canales anchoring alongside Peio Canales in midfield. Iñigo Vicente drifting inside from the left. Andrés Martín on the right. Villalibre leading the line.
Expect rotation early, though. Promoted squads always need it.
Racing Santander Manager: José Alberto López
José Alberto López Racing appointed to lead the promotion push, and he delivered a title.
His football is worth watching. Racing lean toward relationalism rather than rigid positional play. In plain terms, players form combinations in tight areas rather than holding fixed zones.
The result is fluid, aggressive and genuinely entertaining. Racing scored freely in Segunda and rarely parked the bus.
Whether that survives contact with elite opposition is the season’s central question. Many promoted managers abandon their principles by November. José Alberto has shown no intention of doing so.
Note on his name: several databases list him as “José López.” He is José Alberto López, and Spanish media usually shorten it to José Alberto.
Racing Santander Fixtures 2026/27
The Racing Santander fixtures 2026/27 schedule opens with a serious test.
Racing Santander vs Villarreal kicks off their campaign on Sunday 16 August 2026 at 15:00 GMT. The Yellow Submarine finished third in La Liga last season on 72 points. That is a brutal welcome back.
One caveat offers hope. Villarreal endured a miserable European campaign, as our Champions League tables confirm. They finished bottom of the league phase.
The full La Liga round one schedule looked like this:
| Match | Date | Kick-off (GMT) |
|---|---|---|
| Alavés vs Getafe | Sat 15 Aug | 17:30 |
| Sevilla vs Rayo Vallecano | Sat 15 Aug | 19:30 |
| Racing Santander vs Villarreal | Sun 16 Aug | 15:00 |
| Espanyol vs Levante | Sun 16 Aug | 17:00 |
| Celta Vigo vs Osasuna | Sun 16 Aug | 19:30 |
| Deportivo vs Elche | Mon 17 Aug | 19:00 |
For the Racing Santander next match after matchday one, check our La Liga fixtures and results hub. Spanish kick-off times move regularly, sometimes only a fortnight ahead.
One fixture to circle: Espanyol away on 25 October.
Sadly, the fiercest derbies are missing. Sporting Gijón and Real Oviedo both sit in Segunda, so the northern rivalries stay on hold.
How to Watch Racing Santander
LaLiga EA Sports holds international broadcast deals in most major markets. In the UK, Premier Sports carries the league. In the US, ESPN+ streams every match.
The Racing Santander TV schedule varies by region, so check your local listings. Coverage of promoted sides improves once results start landing.
Fans in Spain should look to Movistar Plus+ and DAZN.
Racing Santander Relegation Odds and Survival Chances
Bookmakers rate promoted sides as relegation candidates by default, and Racing are no exception. Most previews list them in the bottom group.
The evidence supports caution. Real Oviedo went up last season and came straight back down. That fate haunts every newly promoted squad.
Racing carry three real advantages, though.
- A packed stadium. Eighteen thousand members create genuine intensity at El Sardinero.
- Attacking football that already works. Their style beat 21 other teams over a full season.
- Canales. Few promoted clubs land a player of that calibre.
The weaknesses are just as clear. The squad lacks top-flight depth, and one injury to Villalibre or Iñigo Vicente would hurt badly.
Realistic target: permanencia. Survival is the whole season.
Racing Santander Fantasy 2026/27 Picks
Fantasy managers should not ignore promoted teams. Cheap points win leagues.
Three LaLiga Fantasy Racing Santander picks stand out for the Racing Santander fantasy 2026/27 season.
- Sergio Canales — set-piece duties plus assist potential. Likely the priciest option.
- Iñigo Vicente — 18 assists last season says everything. Excellent value.
- Jokin Ezkieta — a busy goalkeeper behind a promoted defence often racks up save points.
Watch Andrés Martín’s early price too. If he starts well, he climbs fast.
Following the season? Bookmark this page and check back weekly. The squad, form guide and fixture list get updated throughout the campaign. For more analysis across Europe, browse the Goals Corner blog.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Racing Santander’s manager?
José Alberto López manages Racing Santander. He led the club to the Segunda División title in 2025/26 and favours fluid, attacking football built on close combinations.
Is Sergio Canales back at Racing Santander?
Yes. Canales rejoined his boyhood club in July 2026 on a contract until 2028, arriving from Monterrey. He described the move as the most important moment of his career.
What stadium do Racing Santander play at?
Racing play at Campos de Sport de El Sardinero in Santander. It opened in 1988 and holds around 22,500 supporters. A redevelopment plan would raise that figure to 27,000.
Are Racing Santander related to Santander the bank?
No. The club and the bank share a name because both come from the city of Santander in Cantabria. Banco Santander was founded there in 1857, and Racing in 1913. There is no ownership link.
Who is Racing Santander’s biggest rival?
Sporting Gijón and Real Oviedo provide the fiercest derbies, born of the Cantabria–Asturias regional rivalry. Both clubs currently play in LaLiga Hypermotion, so those meetings are on pause.
Who is Racing Santander’s top scorer?
Andrés Martín led the scoring during the promotion season with 20 league goals. Asier Villalibre added 14. Both carry the attacking burden into the top flight.
Can Racing Santander stay up this season?
It is achievable but far from certain. Their attacking quality, home support and Canales all help. Squad depth remains the main concern across a 38-game campaign.
The Bottom Line
Spanish football gets better when its historic clubs come home. The Racing Santander La Liga 2026/27 season restores a founding member to the division it helped create.
They may struggle. Promoted teams usually do. But a full El Sardinero, a local hero in midfield and a manager who refuses to sit back make them worth watching.
Fourteen years of waiting deserves that much attention.