Real Madrid’s spectacular end-of-season collapse continued when they recorded their fourth straight loss, going down ignominiously 2-1 at already-relegated bottom club Murcia on Sunday.
Never before, since the Spanish league started 75 years ago, have Real suffered such a losing streak.
To add to the misery, David Beckham was sent off after 36 minutes for protesting over a lineman’s decision.
The England captain could face a suspension that stretches into next season as he continued to scream obcenities at the official long after being shown the red card, and jeeringly applauded the decision when he finally left the field.
The agony started early as Murcia, with former Real coach John Toshack at the helm, opened the scoring after just two minutes.
Luis Garcia was on hand to tap the ball in after Real’s Spanish international goalkeeper Iker Casillas, normally one of the safest guardians in the top flight of Spanish football, failed to hang on to a header by Richi Perez.
One goal would have been enough for Luis Garcia to prove a point.
He was the top scorer for the Real Madrid reserve team last season before being discarded last summer, but Luis Garcia added to Real’s embarrassment with Murcia’s second from the penalty spot after 33 minutes.
Ivan Helguera was harshly adjudged to have handled the ball in the area but many pundits were quick to point out it could be called natural justice after the number of dubious penalties Real themselves have been awarded this season.
Jose Maria ”Guti” Gutierrez got one back for Real in injury time but it was too late to snatch a point.
Real slip to third in the Spanish first division, two points behind their bitter rivals Barcelona, who beat Racing Santander 1-0 earlier on Sunday.
The defeat also raises the spectre of Real having to cancel lucrative tours to the United States and Asia this summer.
If they finish third, Real will have to play in the qualifying rounds of the Champions League in July and August.
Barca’s win came thanks a penalty from Ronaldinho after 15 minutes, after the Brazilian World Cup winner had been tripped.
The Barca faithful also said goodbye to former Spanish international Luis Enrique Martinez, who will be leaving at the end of the season.
Luis Enrique played his 300th league game for Barca on Sunday.
It is probable he will retire, although he has also received an offer of a lucrative valedictory season in Qatar.
Fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao secured themselves a place in next season’s Uefa Cup, after a five-year absence from European competition, with a 2-1 victory at Osasuna.
The Basques had two goals disallowed in the first half but finally got one that counted barely a minute after the break from Francisco Yeste.
Ismael Urzaiz added Athletic’s second after 62 minutes, a header with his first touch of the ball just after coming on as a substitute.
Sevilla kept alive their own chances of a return to Europe with an emphatic 4-1 win at Albacete to move up to seventh after Atletico Madrid had gone down 2-1 at home to Real Zaragoza.
Zaragoza’s two goals came from Delio Toledo in injury time.
At the other end of the table, Espanyol threw away a two-goal lead at Real Mallorca to lose 4-2 and leave the relegation battle wide open.
If they had won, Espanyol would have condemned Valladolid and Celta Vigo, who both lost on Saturday, to second-division football next season along with Murcia.
”I have to hand it to Mallorca. For a side with nothing to play for, they showed they had a lot of pride. I just hope they are as motivated against Celta next Sunday,” said Espanyol’s angry coach, Luis Fernandez.
Espanyol experienced a second-half meltdown, leaking four goals in the final 25 minutes, after being 2-0 up at the break, to remain
in danger of going down. — Sapa-AFP