Atlético Madrid C crowned champions, promoted to Segunda Federación | OneFootball

Just two years ago, people were talking about the return of Atlético de Madrid C to the structure of La Academia, after its disappearance some time ago. They did not return under the red-and-white name, but rather under the designation of Club Unión Collado Villalba. The team from the northern mountains of Madrid, despite spending the entire season near the top of the table, missed out on the playoff spots after losing at home to Galapagar, their eternal rival, at the Sports Center of Alcalá de Henares. The sad faces and tears would turn into joy and jubilation just a year later.

Atlético de Madrid managed to fully reclaim its Atlético identity, wearing the red-and-white shirt with the corresponding crest and playing at the club’s facilities. To be precise, at Cerro del Espino in Majadahonda. And what a start it was: a 3-1 win over Carabanchel and 4 wins from 4 to begin the season, with a stellar Jesús Barrios. Two straight defeats and a few draws seemed to shake the positive momentum from the start of the campaign, but if this team has shown anything, it is that giving up is never an option.

A last-gasp win away at Siello, an 8-1 thrashing in Galapagar, and another home rout against Villaverde by 5-1. Two slips against Unión Adarve and Las Rozas almost prevented the reserve side from keeping up its good form, and I say almost because another rout followed. A 6-2 win away at Racing Ciudad de Madrid, a 5-1 thrashing of UD Sanse B, and the key match of the first half of the season. The visit to Móstoles, which ended in victory, was crucial because they were a direct rival, because it came away from home, and because it was a comeback, as the Móstoles side had gone 2-0 up in the second half. But Jesús Barrios once again played the hero, scoring a brace to turn the score around.

It was not only the man from Jerez who was decisive, of course. Álvaro Moreno and his endless, outrageous saves, the goals from the two Sergios (Vinatea and Esteban), the growth of Darío Frey, wing daggers like David Arza, Dani Muñoz, and later Jorge Rajado… and the competitiveness of the impact subs.

The second half of the season began with some results that kept Manel Ruano’s side from pulling away at the top of the standings. The positive side? Neither Móstoles, Las Rozas, nor Leganés B took advantage of their chances and in fact put together even worse results. After a 4-1 win in Parla, two more consecutive draws, a home victory over Leganés B, and a comeback in Pozuelo, Atleti C reached matchday 27 as leaders with 53 points, 2 ahead of Las Rozas and 4 clear of Móstoles. And then it was back to old habits: 2 points from a possible 9, with 2 of those matches played at home. Las Rozas moved to within just 1 point, but the others could barely make up any ground.

After Holy Week, which was hugely important for resetting mentally, the red-and-whites beat Unión Adarve 3-0 with some ease and sent a message to Las Rozas, their next opponent. The side from Navalcarbón hosted the reserve team sitting 4 points behind: if Atleti won, the gap would be 7 and the league would be all but wrapped up. The home side won, and the title race stayed open. Atleti C went 2-0 up in the first half through efficient finishing, then saw the northern side turn it around in just a few minutes to make it 3-2, and the Atlético side switched on the steamroller and eventually won 5-3. If they took all 3 points at home the following matchday, they would be champions.

And well, that is exactly what happened yesterday in Majadahonda. Against the bottom side, a team that has not been able to adapt to a division that waits for no one. But, as on other occasions, the visiting side struck the first blow. This time in the opening minutes. After regrouping, Ruano’s men became a complete whirlwind: Jesús Barrios equalized from close range after an assist from Javier Aznar, and Jorge Castellanos made it 2-1 with a brilliant goal after a pass from Jorge Rajado. The latter, by the way, has been key, despite barely playing in the second half of the season after spending the first half partly injured and partly with Atlético Madrileño.

In the second half, after a great move involving Javi Alonso, Barrios, and Arza, Sergio Vinatea sent a diagonal volley into the back of the net. Gonzalo Gross, who almost scored a wonder goal on a Maradona-esque run, made it 4-1. And just as the title celebrations were beginning in Majadahonda, Rajado set up Mariano Villafáfila for the final 5-1, and the final whistle blew.

A very, very well-deserved promotion for the second reserve side in a division as difficult as the Tercera Federación. Especially away from home. The team with the most goals, with 80 in total. The best home side and the best away side. In short: the best team in Group 7, without a doubt. But this is not only important because of the promotion itself, but also because of the future of the squad, as they will be able to remain with the red-and-whites in a higher division without having to worry about going out on loan or leaving as free agents to other clubs where no one can guarantee them a place.

Lastly, this promotion is especially commendable because many of the players were called up to train with the first team, meaning that only 6 players were barely training with the C team during the week. Added to that was the number of injury absences the team suffered, forcing them to rely on youth players such as Rubén Gómez, Miguel Gil, Abdou Kemo, Gonzalo Gross, and Shadrack Addo, who performed brilliantly and adapted in record time.

Congratulations, what a team.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.