third place behind La Paz's clubs The Strongest and Bolívar, and missed another opportunity to take part in an international tournament. During the second semester of 1994, Blooming began experiencing difficult times financially. The condition had severe implications in the players as they went on strike in several occasions. The evident lack of motivation was soon reflected on the field, as the team didn't qualify to any of the two championship play-offs, and to make things worse, it compromised its permanence in first division football due to poor performances throughout the season. Entering 1995 the financial crisis exacerbated. Blooming no longer had the capacity to pay its players. Tired of this situation, most of them left the institution and signed for other teams. Clearly the club had no other alternative, but to turn to its youth sector as the last resort to compete in the local tournament. Despite the tremendous effort exhibited by these youngsters, the team finished second-bottom of the league having to play a relegation series with the Copa Simón Bolívar's runners-up. On November of that year in La Paz, Blooming lost to Chaco Petrolero 6–5 on penalty kicks, after a 1–1 score during regular time. Hence, the team was relegated for the first time since the league was founded in 1977. The following year Blooming celebrated its 50th anniversary playing in second division; however, a fresh board of directors with Juan Callaú in command, promised the supporters that the team would return to first division in 1997. The first step was to find a manager with a strong background, who was familiar with Bolivian football and had the willingness to undertake this pretentious project. That's how they determined to bring onboard Carlos Aragonés, a prominent manager who had won the national title with The Strongest a few years back. The club was also strengthened with great off-season acquisitions like young talented midfielder Limberg Gutiérrez, experienced striker Víctor Hugo Antelo, Tahuichi right-back Renny Ribera and other important players, which got on well with rest of the squad; forming a solid and consistent team that won the promotion in 1996 by defeating Club Universidad from Santa Cruz in the Copa Simón Bolívar finals. With the imminent return of Blooming to first division football, the club once again occupied a seat of honor among the best teams in Bolivia. In 1997, la academia made a successful comeback; in the Apertura