Relegation looms for CD Tenerife

Fans of CD Tenerife have little choice but to resign themselves to the prospect of life in the lower reaches of Spanish football. The defeat at Malaga on 21 February, following on the heels of successive losses to Cordoba and Eldense, leaves the side 14 points from safety and the task to avoid the drop from the 2nd Division is now insurmountable even if manager Alvaro Cervera publicly refuses the throw in the towel. Relegation will have massive repercussions on a club that narrowly missed out on promotion to the top flight in June 2022 after losing the play-off final to Girona.

The problems plaguing CD Tenerife are not just on the field but off it also. In-house rivalries and the recent allegations of sexual assault against one prominent member have seen the club board feature in the headlines for all the wrong reasons and chairman Paulino Rivero has announced he will stand down in a few weeks.

Fans have already voiced concerns that relegation to the third tier could mark the start of a long period in the wilderness for Tenerife, who have enjoyed four stints in the premiership, including an entire decade from 1989-1999.

Optimists would probably sign up to a return to the second tier within two seasons come August, as occurred the last time Tenerife suffered the ignominy of relegation from the 2nd Division. Ironically, the manager who secured that promotion was current boss Cervera, the third to take charge at the Heliodoro Rodríguez stadium during this turbulent season.