Racing Santander 3 - Athletic Bilbao 0

Racing: Ceballos; Mellberg, Arzeno, Neru; Espina, Colsa; Morán (Juanma 46'), Vivar Dorado, Manjarín (Pineda 78'); Magallanes (Regueiro 46'), Mazzoni. 3-2-3-2.
Bilbao: Aranzubia; Larrainzar, Roberto Rios, Carlos García, Del Horno; Tiko (Felipe 57'), Orbaiz, Alkiza, Yeste (Joseba Etxeberria 57'); Ezquerro, Urzaiz (Imaz 78'). 4-4-2.

Team changes: Racing: Neru, Colsa, Morán, Vivar Dorado for Txema, Juanma, Jaime, Amavisca / Bilbao: Roberto Rios, Del Horno, Tiko, Yeste, Ezquerro for Oscar Vales, Alkorta, Felipe, Joseba Etxeberria, Javi González.

Goals:
1-0. 49. Regueiro. Header from Manjarín cross under pressure from Larrainzar.
2-0. 59. Mazzoni. Headed down into net from Regueiro corner on right.
3-0. 66. Regueiro. Beat defender and shot past keeper.

Racing put an end to a sad season with a little bit of joy for their fans. Already relegated, they took on and beat a Bilbao side that had nothing to play for having ended up in the lower half of the league table. Both managers were probably in charge for the last time, with Gustavo Benítez's future unsure and Txetxu Rojo moving on to Zaragoza next season, and both took advantage to introduce numerous changes in their respective teams. Racing lined up with three central defenders for the first time this season, with Morán and Dorado coming in to midfield, and an injury hit Athletic were missing Julen Guerrero once again, this time with a knee injury.

There were protests from fans before the game against management and players, and the team were booed on to the pitch at the start. However as the game wore on the supporters started to get behind their team as they played the better football. At half time Benítez went back to a four man defence and brought on Regueiro, and the introduction of the Uruguayan striker made the difference as he contributed to three goals in the first twenty minutes after the restart. Eight minutes in to the half he opened the scoring when he and Larrainzar went in together on Manjarín's cross, referee Fernández Marín awarding him the goal even though in the action replay it looked as if the Bilbao defender had got the main touch. It was not Larrainzar's day, and a few minutes later he was to get himself sent off for suggesting that the referee perform an unnatural act after he had shown him the yellow card.

Mazzoni got a second goal with a glancing header from Regueiro's corner, and Regueiro himself added the third after taking the ball past three defenders, and he could have completed his hat-trick later on his shot had not hit the post. At the end of the game the supporters flocked on to the pitch, and Arzeno finished up in his underpants as souvenir seekers stripped him of his clothes. Racing go down to the second division after eight years at the top, although club president Miguel Angel Diaz still hopes that the sporting body will overturn their result against Las Palmas for fielding players with false passports. That is a forlorn hope as the disciplinary board has already ruled against them, and their players are already looking for ways out. Bilbao end one of their worst seasons ever, finishing up the day in fourteenth place having only picked up one point in the last six matches. New president Javier Uria takes over now, and he is hoping that Jupp Heynckes will restore some of their former glory. He will probably need some new blood to do so on this performance.