Elche CF has intensified its preparations since last Sunday, following a camp that moved to Oliva Nova Golf Hotel near Valencia. The arrival of Pablo Machín as the new head coach is reshaping ideas and daily methods as the team eyes the remainder of La Liga Santander. With only four points and no wins after the opening 14 rounds, the focus is on how the squad adapts to a fresh approach and begins climbing the table in the Spanish first division.
Boyé: “A new phase is starting and we are the first to want to push Elche forward”
JA Galvanized
Soriano, now free from the Qatar World Cup break, is guiding the squad through a compact schedule. The La Liga season is set to resume after a brief pause, with the official competition returning in the latter weeks of December. The King’s Cup action is on the horizon, with a night clash at the Pedro Escartin Stadium pitting Elche against Real Sociedad in the second round. A few days later, Elche will host Atlético Madrid at the Estadio Martinez Valero as the league restarts, signaling a pivotal stretch of the campaign.
The Elche group completed the Oliva stage on Tuesday, and the franciverde side announced the first friendly fixtures of this training window. The club has scheduled a match for Friday, December 2, in the morning, at the same Valencia complex, against a premier English opponent known for a long league pedigree.
Lots of intensity and good fit at the start of the Elche stage in Oliva
JA Galvanized
The British club also based itself at the Oliva hotel this week, continuing a tradition of cross-border friendlies. With more than a century and a half of history, the visiting side has spent many seasons in the top tiers of English football, and currently competes in a division just below the Premier League. The emphasis for Elche has been to fine tune the tactical system, assess squad depth, and identify the best combinations for upcoming fixtures.
Friday’s closed-door meeting will test various formations and players for potential roles in the weeks ahead. Machín is expected to run multiple scenarios to evaluate how the team responds to different styles of play and an evolving lineup.
Elche plans to stage several warm-up games before competitive action resumes. In light of scheduling approvals, fixtures across early December include a notable match against a strong English opponent, with the broader plan featuring additional tests and training blocks around Martinez Valero and nearby facilities. The slate may also include matchups versus Belgian, French, and Dutch opponents, contributing to a robust pre-season rhythm and a chance for the squad to build cohesion ahead of the official calendar’s return.