Alavés starts their preseason this Monday. The usual medical tests, added to the PCR, will give way to the first sessions on the lawn under the orders of Pablo Machín. If no positives are detected in this first round of testing, training will start next Thursday. The Soriano coach will have to spin fine, since among first-team players and loaned to other clubs last year, he has no less than 32 players with a contract.
As happened in the past year to Asier Garitano, the new tenant of the bench will not enjoy the best conditions to start, since v
to find a group of disciples too numerous and unbalanced in various positions, waiting for the incorporations that may be arriving.
On this occasion, in addition, the transfer market, which started last Tuesday, lasts no less than until October 5, with which the Gasteiztarra team will start the season – it is scheduled that on September 12 – without completing its squad.
Just one month
As it happened after the confinement, and as long as the conditions marked by the pandemic do not worsen, modest clubs like Alavés will have a single month of work. On this occasion, at least, the group sessions will be able to take place from the beginning and, in addition, they will be able to play friendlies, although with very scrupulous security conditions. All this, in addition, with the Sword of Damocles of the virus on the daily routine of the teams.
With all this, the preparation phase is presented on this occasion extremely limited. The LFP has established a protocol that will prevent its members from holding rallies and playing friendlies in facilities that are not owned by them.. In this way, it is ensured that competition measures are scrupulously followed. In addition, these preparation meetings will be without an audience.
This circumstance will prevent Deportivo Alavés from playing in Alava localities, where he appeared to his fans in each preseason. The Villa de Laguardia Trophy, a classic on its calendar that was held at this time every year, is suspended on this occasion. The same happens with friendlies that used to be played in places like Agurain or Alegría-Dulantzi, among many others.
Hair and Barber
Pablo Machín you already know who will be your squires in the next course. The albiazul entity already had a large group of professionals and the Soriano is only going to accompany him on this occasion Jordi Balcells, which he himself defines as his “person of trust”. Jordi Guerrero, which until now had been his second, will not come to the albiazul club.
In addition, the surprising return of Javi Cabello, announced yesterday by the Castilian-Leonese coach himself in his presentation, another old acquaintance returns to the Alava discipline. Is about Javi barber, former goalkeeping coach who, after coinciding with José Bordalás In the 15-16 course in Mendizorrotza, he went with the Levantine coach to Getafe.
As to Hair, the contractual situation between both parties has had a lot to do with his return. The coach renewed his bond in January 2019 for two more seasons, so when he was dismissed on July 5 along with Asier Garitano, he had the final stretch of the 19-20 year and the entire 20-21 to complete.
Thus, the Albiazul coaching staff for this new season will be made up of a group of eight professionals: Pablo Machín as head coach, Javier Cabello (second), three physical trainers -group where Jordi Balcells joins Jose Antonio Morga and Nenad njardai-, Javier Barbero (goalkeeping coach) and analysts Damian Suarez, Jon zubillaga and Julen castellanos.