Elche’s Rebuilding Under Beccacece: The 2022–23 to 2023–24 Transition
“Reconstruction” and “Armament” are terms coaches drop often when a club is in renewal mode. Elche CF faced a season shaped by those very ideas as Argentine manager Sebastian Beccacece guided the Franjiverde through a challenging period, aiming to restore the club to the second tier and prepare for a more competitive future in the campaign that followed.
The coach arrived at the end of March, taking charge with the task of finishing the current campaign well and laying the groundwork for the next season in the second division. The club’s owner, Christian Bragarnik, entrusted his compatriot, a trusted ally and Beccacece’s representative, with the responsibility of stabilizing results and rebuilding the squad so the team could return to Spain’s top flight in due time.
Beccacece delivered solid results and Elche concluded the season with a respectable performance, even as relegation could not be avoided. The team went on a late run without tasting defeat in the final five matches, underscoring a competitive spark that officials hoped to carry forward.
Plans focused on defending the core of a squad that had made a commendable finish. The ambition was to keep a core group under contract—no more than 16 players—with the objective of extending this foundation while augmenting the squad with five or six new signs who could fit into the plan of competing at a high level in the silver division.
That plan quickly met reality. By the end of the winter market, only six players remained from the prior season: Pedro Bigas, Carlos Clerc, Tete Morente, Nico Fernández Mercau, John Chetauya and Diego González. In total, up to 25 players who had previously formed Elche’s first-team squad for the top tier moved on for various reasons.
Mojica transferred to Villarreal; José Mater went through contract termination; Roger Martí joined Cádiz. After a few weeks, these departures emptied the squad of many familiar faces from the summer of 2022. The winter window also saw Pastore, Fede Fernández and Pol Lirola leave the club, and by season’s end all 12 players who had worked under Beccacece in the top flight were no longer at Elche.
Several veteran and younger players did not renew, including Helibelton Palacios and Gerard Gumbau. Áxel Werner, Enzo Roco, Lisandro Magallán, Gonzalo Verdú, Pape Cheikh, Domingos Quina and Álex Collado were no longer counted toward the current campaign, while Carmona, Nteka and Jony Álamo also moved on under different circumstances.
Among the 16 players with valid contracts, Lucas Boyé (on loan to Granada), Pere Milla (to Espanyol) and Ezequiel Ponce (to AEK Athens) were transferred at the explicit request of the team’s recognized scoring threats.
Elche and Granada make Lucas Boyé’s transfer official
In the winter window, two emblematic players who were fans’ favorites departed: Edgar Badia to Zaragoza and Fidel Chaves to Albacete. Lautaro Blanco’s loan to Boca Juniors and Raúl Guti’s move to Zaragoza also marked a notable reshaping of the squad.
Conversely, the winter arrivals added depth. A total of 18 newcomers joined, obliging Beccacece to adapt a large number of players to his system and rebuild the squad from the ground up.
During the summer, ten new players came in: San Román, Mario Gaspar, Sergio Carreira, Álex Martín, Cristian Salvador, Áleix Febas, Nico Castro, Óscar Plano, Borja Garcés and Sergio León. Mourad and Salinas returned after loans to Burgos and Mirandé respectively. Álex Martín (Racing de Ferrol) and Sergio León (Eibar) also left Elche in January.
No more soap opera about Sergio León at Elche. The winter market added six new players: goalkeeper Matías Dituro, defender David López, midfielders Arnau Puigmal, Sergio Bermejo and Jhegson Méndez, and forward Manu Nieto.
A total of 16 signings occurred across summer and winter, with young players Rodrigo Mendoza, Adam Boayer and Javi Pamies stepping into the first team during the season as well. The constant turnover forced Beccacece to revise his initial plan and reshape the squad to compete with a strong mix of youth and experience.
As the campaign progressed, Beccacece emphasized the phased approach: an initial reconstruction started in September, followed by a second construction in January. The strategy paid dividends in the closing stages, as the team found its best run of results of the season and climbed into the playoff positions for promotion.
The Argentine coach already knew the objectives to finish the season strongly, balancing the need to develop younger talents with the experience necessary to compete in a higher division. The squad’s evolution reflected a broader goal: achieve stability and build a roster capable of sustaining progress across a demanding schedule.
In goal, Dituro led a line of keepers with San Román and youth keeper Jesús López available as alternatives. In defense, Carreira and Josan supported the backline, with Beccacece stabilizing the central defense alongside Mario Gaspar, Pedro Bigas and Diego González, plus the option to call on David López and the youth squad Pamies when needed. The midfield featured a blend of versatility with Áleix Febas, Nico Castro, Nico Fernández, Sergio Bermejo, Arnau Puigmal, Tete Morente and Óscar Plano, while Rodrigo Mendoza represented the club’s emerging talent. Up front, Beccacece rotated Borja Garcés and Manu Nieto, supported by the squad’s broader attacking options to adapt to different opponents and match contexts.