From Fabri to Tony Adams and Robert Moreno: Granada’s electric bench

Since Granada returned to the First Division in the 2010.11 season after 35 years of absence, they have paraded through their bench 14 coaches. There would be 17 if we include José Luis Oltra, Jorge Morilla and Miguel Ángel Portugal, who were in the Second Division. An electric stool.

Rubén Torrecilla has been appointed to lead the team on an interim basis after the dismissal of Robert Moreno. The former from Spain and Monaco has been relieved due to a poor run of results, three points out of a possible 27, which have brought the team closer to the relegation zone. Torrecilla will have a final in every way this Saturday against Elche. If the results accompany him, he will continue; if not, the club will search the market for an alternative with experience in emergency situations.

The stability of the bench in Los Cármenes has not been the usual norm. In the nine seasons of the new cycle among the greats, only two coaches have completed the season, that is, from day one to 38. They are Lucas Alcaraz and Diego Martinez. The first was achieved in the 2014-15 season, the victory against Real Madrid with an own goal by Cristiano Ronaldo; the player from Vigo, after being promoted, rounded off two great campaigns with as many stays, Cup semi-finals and Europa League quarter-finals. No one has managed Granada for three consecutive seasons. And the previous one who put together two in a row in the First Division was Joseíto in 1974-75.

Fabri, the globetrotter

Fabriciano González Peneles, from San Pedro de Santa Comba, is a globetrotter in this trade. He has managed no less than 21 different teams. He achieved the feat of getting two consecutive promotions with Granada from Second B to First. Once in the highest category he resisted 19 games. He was relieved by Abel Resino, Atlético’s international exporter whose best years on the bench have been with Quique Pina as president, both in Ciudad de Murcia and in Granada.

In 2012-13 Pina, president during the years of Gino Pozzo as owner and Juan Carlos Corderom sports director, opted for Juan Antonio Anquela a trainer of advanced methods who had no luck. He was relieved by Lucas Alcaraz from Granada, who completed 17 games in that League and 38 in the next. Caparros and Sandoval

The 2014-15 season was complicated. Joaquin Caparros, an expert coach and with a reputation for being brave with the quarry, was dismissed on matchday 18 after having won only two games. In his place came José Manuel Aguado, a home coach who could only last six games because the team was not picking up. Abel returned, but after 15 games he was dismissed with four games to go and was called Jose Ramon Sandoval a motivating technical expert in the worst circumstances. Against all odds, the team was saved from relegation thanks to the fact that it added 10 points out of a possible 12.

But Sandoval was also unable to complete an exercise. He was relieved on matchday 25. With José González the team avoided relegation after an incredible 1-4 at the Sánchez Pizjuán against Sevilla. But that was more than a warning

Tony Adams’ ‘scholarship’

In 2015-16 the club changed owners. From Gino Pozzo to DDMC, a Chinese company with the enigmatic and bizarre Chinese John Jiang as president. New project that ended up being a disaster. 34 footballers used, 23 signings, 19 nationalities, four coaches. In this campaign there was a historic event, Lucas Alcaraz lined up Ochoa (Mexico); Foulquier (France), Hongla (Cameroon), Ingason (Iceland), Héctor (Spain); Gastón Silva (Uruguay), Uche (Nigeria), Wakaso (Ghana), Andreas Pereira (Brazil), Carcela-González (Morocco) and Adrián Ramos (Colombia). A lineup with eleven nationalities for the first time in the history of the Spanish championship.

Alcaráz was one of the four preparers of that painful year. The others were Paco Jémez who only lasted six days, Planagumà, one match and Tomy Adams. The England legend was responsible for the sports field of DDMC and decided to dismiss Alcaraz to put himself as coach. The result was a disaster. Seven games, seven losses. The equipment descended to Second. Tony Adams’ scholarship ended in resounding suspense.

The end of Robert Moreno

After two seasons in the Silver Division and the brilliant years of Diego Martínez, the club opted for Robert Moreno in what was his first experience as head of a team in Spain. Although he worked hard in each of the games and training sessions, things did not go as he would have liked. He never had communion with the stands. Now the future in the very short term is Rubén Torrecilla, a coach who has just done a great job with Recre Granada. But the challenge is daunting.