The 1999-00 campaign delivered a devastating end to an era for Atlético Madrid as Los Colchoneros crashed to a crushing 19th-place finish and suffered relegation to the Segunda División. Leading the charge was the phenomenal striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, whose 24 goals were a spectacular individual performance but proved tragically insufficient in a season of unprecedented turmoil and multiple managerial changes, despite reaching the Copa del Rey Final. This monumental failure marked a necessary turning point for the club, one that ultimately paved the way for the emergence of the young Fernando Torres.