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Have Barcelona and Real Madrid ever been relegated from La Liga?
The Clasico giants are synonymous with national, continental and global success, but have they ever dropped out of the top flight?
Barcelona and Real Madrid are institutions of Spanish football, with the reverberations of their bitter rivalry felt across the world each year in El Clasico.
Between them they have won over 50 league titles, dominating the domestic landscape, and each year on the continent they are inevitably in the mix in the fight for European supremacy.
Success is second nature to these clubs, but even the biggest teams endure peaks and troughs over the course of time.
So, have Barca and Real ever experienced relegation? Goal brings you everything you need to know.
No. Barcelona and Real Madrid have never been relegated from La Liga.
The Clasico rivals have been permanent fixtures in the competition for nearly a century, having been a part of the competition since its foundation in 1929.
A total of just three teams have not suffered relegation from Spain's Primera Division, with only Athletic Club joining Barca and Real in the exclusive club.
The three sides were among the 10 original founding members of the league, which also included: Real Sociedad, Atletico Madrid, Espanyol, Europa, Racing Santander, Getxo and Real Union.
Atletico Madrid follow Barca and Real as the third most successful club in the country in terms of league titles and they have been a fixture of La Liga for most of its history.
However, the Rojiblancos were relegated in the league's second season in 1929-30.
Atletico returned to the Primera Division in 1939-40 after the Spanish Civil War (winning the first two editions after the conflict) and remained there until the year 2000, when they were relegated for the second time.
They were promoted again after just two terms in the Segunda and have been part of the top division since.
Valencia are another long-standing institution of Spanish football and they were only ever relegated from La Liga once.
That moment occurred in 1985-86, but they immediately bounced back, winning the Segunda in 1986-87.
Other popular Spanish clubs, such as Real Sociedad, Deportivo La Coruna, Sevilla and Real Betis have all endured multiple relegations.
Maintaining status in the top national league of a country is an impressive feat and not one that is easily achieved, with even the biggest clubs enduring relegation over time.
For example, just one Italian club (Inter) has never been relegated from Serie A and none of England's top clubs can claim an unblemished league record (though Arsenal have not been relegated since 1919).
