Uncertain times and rising pressure
Weeks pass without a breakthrough, and the team endures a stretch that tests patience. It is nine days before a first win finally arrives, and although there are many matches still ahead, Elche’s margin starts to narrow. The season asks for grit and resilience, and while history remains an option, the chances look tighter with each passing day.
Since the win became worth three points in the 1995/96 season, the experience of Franjiverde is not unique. Of the 15 First Division clubs that faced a similar eight-to-nine game start, only four managed to survive: Osasuna in 2008/09, Zaragoza in 2010/11, Almería in 2013/14, and Getafe in 2021/22. The latest example from Getafe offers a glimmer of hope for Elche, though it is true that last season no club secured a victory by the ninth match and still avoided relegation.
The situation grows harder for Levante, whose first win comes only on the 21st match day in a Metropolitan clash against Atlético. A solid fight was mounted, but permanence seemed unlikely. Getafe, guided by Quique Sánchez Flores, sparked the strongest reaction. The Azulones regrouped and finished the season without avoidable distress, earning salvation a few weeks ahead of schedule.
Long before Getafe achieved that breakout, Almería did so in 2013/14 with Francisco on the bench. The Andalusian club chose a different path from Bragarnik’s at Elche, staying committed to the coach. From behind, the Rojiblancos delivered three wins in the last four matches and added another victory to seal their late surge.
Bragarnik: “I want a vote of confidence for me and Almirón; we will do the impossible to save Elche”
The discussion around leadership intensified as the season wore on. Osasuna and Zaragoza were the first clubs to secure safety after failing to win their first nine league games. Navarre found a path to salvation in 2008/09 that reads like a story of humor and surprise. With Camacho directing from the bench, Osasuna needed maximum points in the final two days and faced Barcelona and Real Madrid as the main obstacles. He delivered six points, and the manager’s name drew little attention beyond the results.
Zaragoza’s 2010/11 comeback was even more unusual. The Maño side finished strong under Javier Aguirre, aided by players such as Gabi, Ander Herrera, Leo Franco, Diogo and Lafita, while Agapito Iglesias steered from the board. Initial efforts did not yield results, yet La Liga and the broader football community watched as the final-day showdown against Levante sparked one of the most talked-about comebacks, with accountability at the center of the discussion for everyone involved.
Among the four positive cases, eleven failures stood as counterexamples. Elche now faces a similar crossroads. The Franjiverdes could join a group that includes Sporting (1997/98 and 2011/12), Real Sociedad (2006/07), Levante (2007/08 and 2021/22), Racing (2011/12), Córdoba (2014/15), Granada (2016/17), Malaga (2017/18), Leganés (2019/20) and Huesca (2020/21).
TEAMS WITHOUT A GUARANTEED SAFE START AFTER NINE GAMES OF THE SEASON OFTEN FACE THREE POINT HURDLES
Sporting 97/98: relegation
Real Sociedad 06/07: relegation
Levante 08/07: relegation
Osasuna 08/09: persistence
Zaragoza 10/11: permanence
Sporting 11/12: relegation
Race 11/12: relegation
Almería 13/14: permanence
Córdoba 14/15: relegation
Granada 16/17: relegation
Malaga 17/18: relegation
Leganés 19/20: relegation
Huesca 20/21: relegation
Getafe 21/22: persistence
Levante 21/22: relegation
In these cases, results vary widely. The league’s history since 1996/97 shows a tough arc for teams that start poorly, with the ninth matchday often serving as a crucial turning point. A season can shift dramatically with a single win, a run of points, or a tactical adjustment that suddenly changes everything.
Huesca found momentum under Pacheta two years ago, and Elche briefly tapped into that same sense of momentum in the late phase. Leganés faced a surprising test against the champions Madrid during the pandemic, underscoring football’s late-season drama. The club now hopes to chart a steadier course as May approaches, and the question remains: will the month arrive with a favorable outcome?
Mirror for Clemente, Almirón
Jorge Almirón’s return to the Elche bench drew attention, especially given the streak that saw him depart the club two seasons earlier after a winless run of 16 days. Such statistics rarely guarantee another chance from the same club. Yet in Spanish football, the Argentine coach can measure himself against a benchmark: Javier Clemente.
In 1988/89, Clemente was let go after a winless run of 19 games with Espanyol in the top division. In 1991/92, Espanyol rehired him and he hit bottom midway through the season, yet the club still avoided relegation that year. —
Bases of the sport show that managers can rebound from difficult starts and rewrite a season’s narrative. The question now is whether Almirón can replicate a turnaround similar to Clemente’s, guiding Elche toward a more secure position in the table.