Three and a half months passed before official football returned to Rico Pérez. The sting of defeat hung in the air like embers, and the crowd’s voices—sharp and persistent—kept arguing that Hercules could still rise again. The club’s ownership, led now by the 23rd businessman in charge, Enrique Ortiz, has become calmer, quieter in tone, less prone to grand heroics than previous regimes. With new partners by his side, Ortiz prepares to present the plebiscite at the season’s start, in a stadium that bears the scars of recent upheaval but still holds the stubborn belief that the club has more to give. This is a moment of reckoning, as the blue and white SAD attempts to chart a steadier course in a landscape that has tested every nerve.
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Hércules, led by Paco Peña and operating without Quique Hernández at the helm, faced a season that demanded resilience from a club steeped in a century of football history. The Alicante side, with a loyal membership of about 5,000, carried regrets but returned home with renewed purpose, determined to shed the weight of the past and to author a narrative with fewer abrupt endings. The club’s ambitions are clear: redefine a legacy and push toward stability in a year that will test every decision and every line of play. The renewal is palpable, and the sense of forward momentum is hard to miss as the season begins to unfold.
Defense stands as the immediate priority. Angel Rodríguez faces a siege-like challenge as the team, under the guidance of Marcelo and Dylan, begins the campaign with a double pivot designed to maximize strength in the middle of the park. Maxi Ribero and Cesar Moreno emerge as the two most influential players in that position, while the squad must weather injuries and adjust to new roles. The decision on how to arrange the backline and the two holding midfielders will shape Hercules’ ability to control games. Michel Herrero and Sergio Marco are pushing to challenge for starting roles, and the staff is weighing whether to consolidate a compact unit or to stretch the field with the forwards and wingers. The cohesion of this midfield-and-defense transition will determine whether Hercules can move the ball with purpose and defend its own goal with discipline, a key to turning possession into opportunities in a league that rewards quick transitions and relentless pressure.
Ángel: “Our social audience must be an ally, not an obstacle; they should rally behind the team.”
Pedro Rojas
Nico and Álvaro are expected to play influential roles on the wings, providing one-on-one danger and pace that can disrupt defenses. Most outlets have an owner in mind for early-season discussions, but the plan is to prioritize the players who are fully fit and ready to contribute. Hercules will place trust in Alvarito and Nico Espinosa to deliver balance and directness, while aiming to avoid unnecessary risk with the squad’s fitness. The coaching staff will also consider resting certain veterans to maintain freshness, ensuring the squad enters matches with maximum energy rather than risk fatigue setting in too soon.
The manager’s priorities are clear: maximize the impact of Míchel, a player capable of altering a game’s tempo, and ensure that Riera, Álvarito, and the Valencian midfielder operate as a cohesive unit. The aim is to create a dynamic that keeps opponents off balance and opens the door for quick, incisive football. Bringing these talents together represents a strategic pivot, one intended to spark a positive start to the season and help calm the mood among supporters who crave tangible results. That blend of leadership, talent, and tempo will be the fulcrum of Hercules’ early campaign.
Oriol Alsina, who once steered Llagostera, witnessed how rapidly fortunes can swing in football, especially when a club returns to the lower divisions. Tonight’s match, set to kick off at 20:00, presents a direct test of which club is better prepared to contest for a higher finish this season. The stage is set for an early season showdown that could reveal much about the road ahead for both teams, and more broadly, for the ambitions of the blue and white club as it pursues a return to stability and competitive success.