Regaining LaLiga title in 1931

Such a day as today, on 6 April 1931, Athletic Club became the first club in LaLiga to gain a league title two consecutive times, after having won the competition the previous season. With two leagues conquered out of the three that had been held up to then, the lions stood as the most powerful national football team. On June 21 that same year, Athletic completed a league and cup double after defeating Betis Balompié 3-1 in the Copa final.

Athletic were able to win the league despite losing 1-2 that day against Real Unión at San Mamés and despite a triple tie with Real Santander RC and Real Sociedad at the top of the table, with 22 points. The goal average system was used to break the tie, being Athletic’s goal average far better than their opponents’.

In fact, the Red and Whites established a new record by scoring 73 goals, ten more than the season before, (+40 was their goal difference, while +12 and +3 were Real Santander’s and Real Sociedad’s respectively). Besides, Agustín Sauto Bata increased the maximum number of goals scored by a single player to 27 (Gorostiza, the highest scorer the previous season had registered 20 goals), with an average of 1.58 goals per game, the highest number in the history of the competition.

The Liga was played by the following ten teams that year: Arenas Club, Athletic Club, CD Alavés, FC Barcelona, RCD Espanyol, CD Europa, Real Santander RC, Real Madrid, Real Sociedad and Real Unión.

With the Liga and Copa Acha trophys (probably the one corresponding to the season 1930/31), Athletic’s squad against Real Unión de Irun at San Mamés: Lafuente, Unamuno, Blasco, Uribe, Urquizu, Castellanos, Roberto Echevarria, Gorostiza and Chirri II. Down: Petreñas, Muguerza and Bata.