Deportivo La Coruña return to La Liga

Deportivo La Coruña are back in Spain’s top division after an eight-year absence, sealing promotion with a 2-0 win at Real Valladolid on Sunday. Bil Nsongo scored twice at the José Zorrilla as Antonio Hidalgo’s side secured one of the top two places in Segunda División with a game to spare. Reports from Spanish and international outlets said the result confirmed Deportivo’s place in La Liga for the 2026-27 season. The promotion ends a long spell outside the top flight for one of Spanish football’s best-known clubs. Deportivo were relegated from La Liga at the end of the 2017-18 season and have since spent time rebuilding through the lower divisions before returning to the top tier this weekend. Football España said Deportivo’s promotion means 19 of the 20 clubs for next season’s La Liga are now known. (sports.ndtv.com) ### How did Deportivo clinch promotion at Valladolid? Sunday’s match was settled by Bil Nsongo before halftime. Eurosport’s live report said Nsongo scored in the 12th and 35th minutes, with both goals assisted by Luismi Cruz, as Deportivo took control early against Valladolid. La Opinión A Coruña also reported that Nsongo’s double finished the job in a match the visitors effectively closed out in the first half. (football-espana.net) The 2-0 result was enough because promotion from Segunda goes automatically to the top two teams. The Associated Press report carried by Fox Sports said the victory guaranteed Deportivo one of those two spots, sending the former Spanish champion back to the top tier. ### Why is this return notable for Deportivo? Deportivo’s return brings a former La Liga champion back into the competition. (eurosport.es) The club won the Spanish title in 1999-2000, and its revival follows a period in which it dropped beyond the top two divisions before working its way back. Several reports described the club as a “sleeping giant,” though that characterization comes from Football España rather than from the club itself. (foxsports.com) The gap since Deportivo last played in La Liga was eight seasons. AP and AFP reports published on May 25 both described the promotion as the end of an eight-year absence from the top flight. ### Who were the key figures in the promotion? Bil Nsongo was the decisive player on the day, scoring the two goals that sealed promotion. (foot-africa.com) AFP identified him as a Cameroonian striker, while Spanish match coverage credited Luismi Cruz with the assists for both goals. Antonio Hidalgo was the coach in charge of the promoted side, according to Football España’s report on the result. (foxsports.com) Real Valladolid were the beaten opponents in the decisive match. Racing Santander had already secured promotion earlier, with reports last week saying their return to La Liga was confirmed on May 16. ### What does the 2026-27 La Liga lineup look like now? Football España and Yahoo Sports said Deportivo’s promotion leaves 19 of the 20 teams for the 2026-27 La Liga season confirmed. (sports.ndtv.com) Racing Santander are already up from Segunda, while one remaining promotion place has still to be decided. La Liga’s official site lists the 2025-26 top-flight season as complete, with the promoted clubs now beginning to take shape for next season. (football-espana.net) Deportivo’s return adds another historic name to that lineup after promotion was sealed on May 24. ### What comes next for Deportivo? The next step is the final round of Segunda fixtures, even though Deportivo have already secured automatic promotion. Reports from AFP and SuperSport said the club clinched promotion with a match to spare, meaning its place in La Liga for 2026-27 is already assured before the season ends. (football-espana.net) Racing Santander are the other team already promoted, and one final place in next season’s La Liga remains open. (laliga.com) That last spot will complete the 20-club field for the 2026-27 campaign. (football-espana.net) (sports.ndtv.com)