One of last season's most unexpected success stories has proven that their exploits were no fluke.
Getafe continued their pursuit of a Champions League spot by beating Real Sociedad 2-1. The victory not only boosted the club from central Spain's chances of qualifying for Europe's leading club tournament next season; it also all but ensured that their Basque rivals would fail doing so. Jaime Mata scored both of Getafe's goals in the victory which put them just two points adrift of fourth place in La Liga and the final Champions League berth.
Earlier this season, I made a post questioning if Getafe's excellent season in 2018-19 was a one-hit wonder. It now is evident that such is not the case. Getafe have clearly backed up their rapid improvement last season and are more than likely here to stay.
What makes Getafe's sustained success even more impressive is the fact that by almost every conceivable metric, this should not be happening. The club operates on one of the lowest budgets in La Liga. Its stadium, the Coliseum Alfonso Peréz, is also extremely small with a maximum capacity of just over 17,000. The average attendance at each of Getafe's home matches in the league has been around 11,000. They also have a roster which do not have any names which jump off the page. None of their players have been major transfer targets of bigger clubs. None of their younger players are likewise regarded as superstars in the making.
When assigning the credit for Getafe's success over the past two seasons, the bulk of the plaudits must go to head coach José Bordalás. Bordalás has become one of the most underrated coaches in the world. Ever since his appointment to the position, Getafe have only gone from strength to strength. He has proven to be a shrewd tactician and intelligent decision-maker who thoroughly understands his personnel and how to best deploy them. It is interesting that Bordalás' formation of choice is the 4-4-2; this is a formation which had seemingly fallen out of style at the top level of world football. However, the man from Alicante has shown that there is still a place for this throwback tactical approach.
The club's front office has also shown a great deal of acumen in constructing the current Getafe roster. In spite of Getafe's limited budget, the front office has managed to identify players who suit the team's system and tactics. The off-season additions of Allan Nyom and Marc Cucurella have turned out to be astute signings, as both have been important contributors to Getafe's season to date. Other signings such as Jason, Kenedy, and Deyverson have added more depth to the squad. It must also be mentioned that the club spent very little money on transfers; thus, their success in the transfer market is all the more impressive.
Speaking of the players themselves, they have really gelled over the past two seasons and turned into a solid, cohesive unit which is able to cause problems for any team - even Real Madrid and Barcelona. Players such as Mata, Damián Suárez, Mauro Arambarri, Cucurella, and Nemanja Maksimović have outperformed expectations all season long. It might not be long before bigger clubs take notice and consider signing one or more of them during the coming off-season.
Of course, there is still some work to be done. Getafe currently trail Sevilla by two points with six matchdays remaining. Furthermore, Getafe have never qualified for the Champions League before. Thus, the pressure of the situation could end up getting to them and derailing their bid for a debut appearance on the biggest stage in European club football.
That being said, Getafe have never had it so good. Their fifth-place league finish last season was the best in the club's history. If they end up bettering that result this season, they will have created yet more history by qualifying for the Champions League.
Although the odds might be stacked against Getafe achieving such a feat, they have made a habit of defying the odds in recent times. Nevertheless, one thing is certainly true of Getafe now: no club, whether in Spain or beyond, will ever underestimate this plucky bunch again.
No comments:
Post a Comment