Embarba is no longer untouchable

Trust Vicente Moreno to his potential, he even pampered him at his press conferences, as he should be. But the moment had been forging. A part of the RCDE Stadium was even beginning to have it taken with him. The appearance of the Copa del Rey, on a Tuesday with a subsequent game on Friday, did the rest. Adrián Embarba, the top assistant in Spanish football last season, experienced an unusual situation in Balaídos: living the 90 minutes on the bench.

After Diego Lopez and Leandro Cabrera, the the only ones who have played more minutes than him since his arrival at Espanyol in January 2020, almost two years ago, Embarba was untouchable. With Vicente Moreno, but also previously with Abelardo Fernández and Francisco Joaquín Pérez Rufete. To the point that Celta-Espanyol this Friday is counted as the first league game in which he was a substitute for an absolutely technical decision. The first time, since his debut on January 25, 2020 against Athletic Club, in which he was not a starter and could be.

Only in this League, had been from the game the 17 previous days –Nine of them, complete–, in which he had delivered two assists –Little joke, against Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid–, but no goal, despite the fact that he came from scoring nine and delivering a whopping 15 last season in the Second Division. So, he disputed as starter 37 games: all saved three for having contracted COVID-19 –Sabadell, Alcorcón and Rayo, in which he was already negative but with the resulting fatigue, he did play the last minutes– and two per penalty, before Logroñés and Ponferradina. Others 17 previously chained in First after his signing.

After 71 days, followed him from the bench despite being totally fit an Embarba who saw how Aleix Vidal’s location at the extreme did not improve his own performance, nor the incursions of Miguelón Llambrich –Who, unlike Azuqueca’s, premiered league ownership ten months later– or the youth squad Ruben Sanchez. Now a few days are coming to recharge batteries that will surely give Embarba to be in the game again, on New Year’s Eve, against Valencia.