Twenty years ago this week, Deportivo La Coruna were riding the crest of a wave.



A 3-2 success over Rayo Vallecano was the fourth in a series of seven consecutive league wins — a run which took them above Spanish football’s traditional powerhouses to the summit of La Liga. They would not relinquish their hold on top spot before the end of the season.



Super Depor, the fans called them, and for good reason. It was a team to quicken any pulse, led by the inimitable Javier Irureta and inspired by Djalminha, a playmaker so deeply mercurial that he may as well have been the product of a lab experiment. Despite a few wobbles in the springtime, the Galicians finished five points clear of Barcelona, securing the first league title in their history.



It was a remarkable achievement for a modest regional club, but it was no mere fluke. Depor finished in the top three in each of the following four seasons and won the Copa del Rey in 2001-02. Two years later,...