Groundhog Day was one of the highest-grossing movies of 1993 and is still popular worldwide. The story of a man who lives the same day over and over could, however, get a sequel, but with a few changes, though.Instead of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, USA, the sequel could take place in Spain, and instead of a grumpy TV weatherman, the main character could be a football player. Finally, as outstanding as he is, Bill Murray couldn’t get a leading role, as it would have to go to Darwin Machis.Who is he, you may wonder, and the answer is simple: He is the man who’s been going through a “deja vu” for four La Liga seasons, living the same outcome over and over.##EDITORS_CHOICE##And when that outcome is none other than a relegation, one cannot help but wonder: Is Machis the most ill-fated player in the world?He started his career in his homeland, Venezuela, at Mineros de Guayana, but after only a single season, he moved to the Spanish Granada. After three seasons with the B team, he joined the senior squad but spent most of his six seasons with the club from the south of Spain on loans in Portugal and at other Spanish sides.Following short spells with Udinese and Cadiz, Machis returned to his “first love,” Granada, in 2019. The first two campaigns were decent, but then, in 2022, things started going south and he started “bearing the curse.”Venezuelan winger Darwin Machis has been relegated in FOUR consecutive seasons 😳He has finished in the bottom 3 of LaLiga with Granada (2022), Real Valladolid (2023), Cadiz (2024) and Real Valladolid (2025) pic.twitter.com/wL10VngmUF— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 25, 2025 Granada finished the 2021/2022 season in the 18th spot, booking a ticket for La Liga 2. After a wild finish, they were only a point away from surviving, but there was no such luck.At the end of that season, Granada sold Machis to the Mexican Juarez for €3.5 million, but he returned to La Liga only six and a half months later, this time to Real Valladolid, and guess what – got relegated, being a point short once again!##NAJAVA_MECA_8884519##Following the relegation, Machis was loaned to Cadiz, which had barely survived the season before. Yet, once the Venezuelan arrived, there was no escape… Machis’ team finished 18th one more time, though it didn’t bother him too much, given that he was set to return to Valladolid as his loan expired.To make things even more perfect for the 32-year-old, Valladolid instantly returned to Spain’s top flight so he could peacefully prepare for another La Liga season, as he once again successfully avoided a downgrade, refusing to “go down with the ship.”#OJOALDATO – El venezolano Darwin Machís acaba de igualar el histórico registro del argentino Jorge Roberto Larraz, al consumar su CUARTO DESCENSO CONSECUTIVO.Jugadores que descendieron de Primera a Segunda División en CUATRO temporadas seguidas…LARRAZLas Palmas 1959-60…— MisterChip (Alexis) (@2010MisterChip) April 24, 2025 Nevertheless, the return didn’t work out too well, as Los Pucelanos are currently the worst La Liga team, sitting at the bottom of the table with only four wins and 16 points in 33 rounds. Hence, the next step is clear: Valladolid are going down, and Machis will become only the second player in Spanish football history with four consecutive relegations after the Argentinian Jorge Roberto Larraz!Now, intriguing questions arise. Will Machis once again save himself from a sinking ship and join another La Liga survivor, or will he finally end up in the second tier?And last but not least, will any La Liga side have the courage to sign the most ill-fated player in the world? Because Darwin Machis is – The Relegation King.
