The last 10 years have been rather complicated for Elche supporters. Ten years ago, the club was administratively relegated to Liga following financial problems and unpaid wages, going so far as to sink into the third division two years later. Little by little, the Ilicitanos managed to redo and even found the first division in 2020, which they will leave later in 2023. In short, the trajectory of a club like Elche is no different from that of many medium -sized clubs in Spain, capable of a few strokes from time to time, but which are used to playing the bottom of the first division and the first places in the second division.
Property of the famous Argentinian agent Christian Bragarnik, who managed the end of the career of Diego Maradona and also takes care of many players like Lisandro Martinez (MU), the Elche CF really approached death, and it was during the acquisition of the club in 2019 and thanks to a substantial austerity plan that he was able to take his head out of the water. Last February, the club announced that it has paid its debt by 47 million euros, 12 years before the deadline initially planned in negotiations with the Spanish authorities. Behind, Bragarnik was able to rebuild on healthy bases, with successes, and errors, but the turning point which explains the new success of Elche at the moment dates back to the summer of 2024. This is where the club has bet on a certain Eder Sarabia (44) for the position of coach. A name that may not say anything to the general public, but which will recall memories of FC Barcelona fans, since he was the assistant of Quique Setién on the Blaugrana bench in 2020, as he had been in Betis and Las Palmas.
Elche, world reference
And like Setién, his playing philosophy is very much inspired by the work of Johan Cruyff. A pro-active team, turned towards the attack, which takes initiatives and where the players have freedom as long as they do not leave the collective framework. Perhaps less radical in its philosophy of play than some of the other coaches who register in disciples of the Dutchman, Sarabia also knows how to build solid teams behind. After six days of Liga, Elche has still not lost and has only conceded 5 goals, which is remarkable for a promoted having faced training like Atlético and Betis more. Above all, the promoted points to a surprising 5th place of Liga. Beyond his game, if Eder Sarabia has a fairly high sympathy capital on the other side of the Pyrenees, it is also because it is a hell of a customer at a press conference. He never keeps his tongue in his pocket, and had made a lot of people laugh for example last year when he said without trembling, at a press conference, that he was “A global reference in terms of game”. Those who laughed then, when the team was in D2, perhaps laugh less today.
Sarabia is a coach who speaks through his social networks, and above all, who does not hesitate to explain his sporting choices and detail her game plans in front of journalists. Which is rare, and therefore much appreciated. Another fairly amazing statistics: Elche is the fourth team with the most possession of a Liga average ball. There too, it is unusual for a promoted, and it testifies to the will of the technical staff to bet on the position so dear to the Barcelona. And clearly, it is not a sterile possession, especially since Sarabia, keen on video analysis, also adapts a lot to the opponent and his team often has solutions regardless of the team's game plan opposite. If necessary, Elche can convert into a team playing a very direct game, chaining the centers directly in the rival surface.
A quiet season?
Sarabia therefore managed to build a playful and solid team without necessarily having huge ways. Admittedly, the offensive sector is rather flashy for a promoted, with the Portuguese international André Silva, Rafa Mir who has vaded in Liga in recent years and the former hope of Real Madrid Alvaro Rodriguez. There are also two players loaned by Barça that are Héctor Fort and Iñaki Peña, but it cannot be said that it counts on a particularly qualitative workforce. Aleix Febas and Rodrigo Mendoza, two rather friends fields with the ball, or the German winger Valera are also interesting players; The fact remains that Levante, another promoted,, for example, has much better players on paper. But the strength of Sarabia, close to the players, is to have succeeded in federating everyone around a common idea and having given a real soul to the team and the club.
Elche is therefore the fashionable team on the other side of the Pyrenees. For how long? Inevitably, it is difficult to imagine the Ilicitanos finish the season at the top of the table, and the defeats will fall sooner or later. On the other hand, what is certain is that Sarabia and her troops will not betray their principles and everything indicates that alongside Celta or Betis, Elche will be one of the teams most pleasant to see playing out of big club. Although fanatic of Barça's philosophy, the Franjivertes coach does not hesitate to appropriate the famous “match after match” by Diego Simeone, refusing to project himself towards the future and taking the games one after the other, without setting objectives other than maintenance. In view of what we have seen so far, keeping your place in Liga for next season may be a very affordable challenge for Elche …
