The 1939-40 season brought a first-ever Spanish title for Atlético Madrid, then playing under the name of Athletic Aviación. This success was welcome, if unexpected, coming just a year after the team had been involved in a play-off to avoid relegation. The 16 goals scored by Enrique were a key factor in the title win, so too was home form with every fixture at the Estadio Metropolitano won apart from a drawn game with Betis.