Galicia regains three teams in the elite after 32 years

Liga Endesa will have a renewed Galician presence in the upcoming season. After three decades, three teams from the region will once again coincide in the top category of Spanish basketball: Río Breogán, Monbus Obradoiro, and Leyma Coruña. The last precedent dates back to the 1993-94 season when Dyc Breogán, OAR Ferrol, and Coren Ourense shared the elite. At that time, this confluence lasted five consecutive seasons starting in 1989-90, but the decline was abrupt.

The end of an era in the nineties

The history of that period explains the significance of the current return. The three Galician clubs coincided for five seasons, but in just four years, the region went from having triple representation to being completely out of the elite. OAR Ferrol was the first to fall, relegating in 1993-94 due to economic problems despite finishing fifteenth out of twenty in the regular phase. Two years later, the club disappeared completely. Breogán followed the same path as the bottom-placed team in 1994-95, and Coren Ourense completed the debacle in 1997-98. Three teams, four years, none in the category.

That traumatic experience contextualizes what is coming now. It’s not just about returning; it’s about staying. Remaining in the elite requires economic stability, a solid sports project, and social support. The three Galician candidates understand this.

The return of Obradoiro after two years away

Monbus Obradoiro is the one returning with the most certainty. The Compostela team was two seasons away from Liga Endesa and has come back as champion of the Primera FEB 2025-26, with a crushing record of 28 wins and only 4 losses. Their offensive average reached 92 points per game under the management of Diego Epifanio, a figure that demonstrates the team’s offensive power.

Continuity is one of the pillars of this project. Sergi Quintela, Yunio Barrueta, Álex Barcello, Diogo Brito, Olle Lundqvist, Álex Galán, and Felipe dos Anjos are part of the core that won the Second Division. This will be Obradoiro’s fifteenth season in Liga Endesa. Their best historical ranking came in the 2012-13 season when they reached eighth place with a record of 18-16. Their worst season was 2009-10, finishing seventeenth with only 8-26.

The challenge of competing in the elite

Returning as champions guarantees nothing. Obradoiro will have to adapt to the pace and intensity of Liga Endesa after two years competing in a lower category. The team has experience in the elite, but the competition is fierce, and several rivals will fight for survival from the first matchday.

Leyma Coruña and its epic in the Final Four

Leyma Coruña reached the elite through the most difficult route. The Coruña team narrowly missed direct promotion, finishing second in the Primera FEB with the same record as Obradoiro: 28 wins and 4 losses. However, they could not mathematically secure their spot and had to compete in the Final Four. On their home court, against Movistar Estudiantes, they staged a fifteen-point comeback in six minutes, giving them a second chance.

The debut in the 2024-25 season revealed a telling statistic about the project's roots: an average of approximately 7,500 spectators per game at the Coliseum, even though the team was in a relegation spot during the last twenty rounds of the regular phase. That support is crucial for continuity.

Carles Marco will take on his first experience as the head coach in Liga Endesa. Half of the key players from the promotion remain in the project: Guillem Jou, Dídac Cuevas, Caio Pacheco, Paul Jorgensen, Jacobo Díaz, and Dino Radoncic. It is an incomplete structure but with its own identity.

Six derbies for the region

The season will feature six matchups among the three Galician teams, with an even distribution. The first will come on November 1 in Santiago when Monbus Obradoiro hosts Río Breogán in round 6. Subsequently, on December 20, Obradoiro will host Leyma Coruña in round 13. On December 30, in round 15, it will be Río Breogán's turn against Leyma Coruña.

In the second half, on March 14, Leyma Coruña will visit Obradoiro in round 24. On May 2, in round 31, Río Breogán will host Obradoiro again. The series will close on May 16, in round 33, with Leyma Coruña visiting Río Breogán. These derbies will have special relevance in a region where basketball has been practically absent from the elite for three decades.

The challenge of survival

The first step has already been taken, but the recent history of Galicia in Liga Endesa warns of what is to come. Staying is the difficult part. The three teams compete in a league where many will fight for survival from the first matchday. There is no margin for error, especially for Leyma Coruña, which arrives with less experience in the top category.

However, there is a new factor compared to the nineties: the media context has changed. This season, TVG will broadcast one Liga Endesa game live each matchday, providing unprecedented visibility. Coverage will kick off with Río Breogán facing Asisa Joventut on Sunday, September 27. Galician basketball is back in the elite and, moreover, with televised exposure. That recognition could be decisive in consolidating projects that otherwise would have difficulty finding sponsors and institutional backing.

The three Galician teams have a historic opportunity. Learning from the mistakes of 1993-94, when economic fragility and lack of structure led to collapse, is essential. Now they have a second chance to write a different story.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Galicia recupera tres equipos en la élite tras 32 años