match day
Alcoyano wrapped up one of the busiest winter windows in its history with five new signings, six departures, and confirmations on a loan and a contract. Vicente Parras will lead the team as coach through the season’s end. The most recent development involved centre-back Javi Jiménez, a 26-year-old who had been without a club since November after leaving Cornellà where he played only a handful of minutes in the first stretch of the season.
The Valencian prospect, once a promising talent from the Valencia CF youth system who debuted for them in a Copa del Rey tie, has since faced a career hampered by a serious knee injury after spells with Albacete and Alcorcón. He arrived at Cornellà last summer, and his move completed Alcoyano’s winter squad reshuffle.
With Jiménez’s arrival, Alcoyano completed five transfers. Midfielders Javi Anton left for Castellón, Kike Carrasco to Atletico Sanluqueño, and Rafa de Palmas to Hercules, while forward Dani Selma departed for Tenerife. On the defensive side, Edu Campabadal, Julen Monreal, and Pablo Carbonell left the club, and Sergi Garcia along with forwards Jean Paul Djolí and Raúl Alcaina also moved on. Deportivo de La Coruña had shown significant interest, submitting a substantial bid earlier in the week and meeting Alcoyano’s asking price to secure a transfer.
The club also arranged a loan for Cameroonian midfielder Guy Eteme to Torrellano and confirmed Vicente Parras as coach through the season, following a spell in which supporters had called for his dismissal after a 0-3 draw with Atletico Madrid B. Since then, Alcoyano has reached a notable high point in form, collecting five wins and just one defeat in recent fixtures.
match day
Deportivo, dealing with several absences, will aim to leverage their current momentum when they host Alcoyano at Nuevo Mirador on Saturday at 16:00. Deportivo hope to secure a fifth win in six outings against Algeciras.
Vicente Parras will be unavailable due to the suspension of center Jose María Pérez, known as Farru, as well as Haritz Albisua and Cristian Aguero, all sidelined by accumulating cautions. Striker Raúl Alcaina had already left Alcoyano in the week after Deportivo de La Coruña paid a transfer fee to secure his services.
Meanwhile Pablo Ganet joined the squad despite arriving late from Equatorial Guinea, where his team played in the African Cup and were eliminated by Guinea in the round of 16. The prospective starting XI for Parras could feature Jaume Valens in goal; Sergi López, Primi, Álvaro Vega, and Nieto in defence; Javi Antón, Imanol, Juanan, and Kike Carrasco in midfield; with Pablo Ganet and Dani Selma leading the attack.
Parras’ quote
Vicente Parras, the Alcoyano coach, will travel to Nuevo Mirador with confidence, aware that his team is enjoying its best stretch of the season and intent on extending this positive run. He expects a strong result and a fifth win in six matches.
“We go there with the aim of adding more points. We are in our best moment of the season and the team has found the rhythm that yields results and keeps us competitive,” the coach explained. He noted the opportunity to climb into promotion positions if they beat Algeciras, tying teams on points with the sixth-placed side.
“Right now this is not the moment to stare at the table. The key is to keep earning points and maintain consistency, avoiding the ups and downs that hurt us,” Parras said. He pointed to the winter market as a turning point that helped the squad regain momentum and steady their performance.
“The new pieces contributed immediately and adapted quickly to the team’s dynamics. Raúl Alcaina left as a goal threat, but the squad will strive to fill the gap between what remains and what is needed. The changes benefited both parties,” he added.
Parras hopes the events surrounding the first-round clash at El Collao, marked by some incidents during and after the match, do not overshadow this Saturday’s game.
“We will play a match in a town that loves football passionately. The atmosphere at El Collao is reminiscent of earlier days, and we will approach the game with calm and focus,” he noted.
“I expect a great match in this division against a team with clear ideas. The coach, formerly with Herculano Lolo Escobar, is doing a fine job. Algeciras plays bravely, and their loyal home crowd can induce a result even on tougher days,” he concluded.