Elche 2023/24 has been a roller coaster of outcomes and expectations. The season began with promise after a difficult start, only to dip again as Christmas approached. By early December, the enthusiasm among supporters seemed unsettled, and questions lingered about whether the team could establish itself among the higher ranks in the division.
Bragarnik’s turn at Elche
VLDELTEL/JAGALVAÑ
Despite a harsh 2022/23 and relegation that earned Elche the nickname of the league’s “roosters,” the club proved stubborn and resilient. Even in 2012/13, when Elche posted a near-record season, the squad did not begin as one of the top favorites for promotion due to their recent drop to the second tier.
However, as months passed, leadership emerged. Under Argentinian coach Sebastian Beccacece, the team confronted a brutal reality. After a self-imposed ultimatum from the coach, the team showed moments of brilliance, delivering a robust middle block in the first part of the season and a very positive run that yielded 20 points from 27 possible in a late stretch.
Environment of doubt
Defeats to Cartagena and Oviedo, plus a draw with Mirandés, rekindled early-season doubts. Beccacece underscored the need for a winter market that could address gaps, while Elche faced must-win games as league action resumed. These doubts stemmed from disorganization and a lack of punch in both final thirds and defensive organization, more than from overall quality. Elche squandered several good chances against Elche, Oviedo, and Cartagena, and could not hold a late advantage against Mirandés — a reminder of the early-season déjà vu.
Elche’s transformation after the Beccacece era
Beccacece’s side showed a numerical deficit in punch, yet they ranked as the third most shot-happy team in the Second Division with 297 attempts, and they still managed to score more goals (21) than some of their direct rivals in the same period.
Injuries, burdens
Injuries quickly became a defining issue in the opening months. A notable case was John, who returned to action after a long layoff. In the last match of 2023, Óscar Plano suffered a severe ankle injury that is expected to sideline him for the remainder of the season, a blow to the team’s attacking options and Beccacece’s plans.
Óscar Plano’s absence removed Elche’s top scorer and a central piece of Beccacece’s attacking approach, which had helped the team rebound in the mid-season phase. Between October and December, the Mostol-born forward found the net seven times, stepping up after injuries to Sergio León and Borja Garcés.
Injury woes extended beyond the frontline. The squad faced frequent substitutions and disrupted week-to-week plans, forcing changes to both tactical structure and in-match decisions. This period contributed to defeats against Villarreal B, Valladolid, Leganés, Eldense, and Tenerife, with a spate of misfortunes that test depth and resilience.
Febas, hunted
In terms of discipline, the midfielder Febas drew an unusually high number of fouls. Real Madrid’s best version of the young creator coincided with some of Elche’s strongest performances, a link that opponents clearly used to guide their defensive focus. The team’s offense depended in part on leveraging Febas’s playmaking abilities, making him a frequent target for referees and defenders alike.
Febas, listed as number 14 by Elche, registered a high tally of fouls within the league — a signal to rivals about how to disrupt the Franjiverdes’ buildup. Across the season up to that point, Febas accounted for a substantial portion of the fouls in the league, while Iván Sánchez of Valladolid trailed with a markedly lower count. This dynamic highlighted the strategic priority opponents placed on neutralizing Elche’s key playmaker and the adaptation challenge facing the squad to overcome such pressure.
These trends underscored a broader challenge: Elche’s path to stability would likely hinge on balancing the ability to press aggressively and control games without inviting counterproductive fouls that disrupt momentum.
Overall, the season’s arc illustrated a club navigating a shift from fear of relegation to a more confident attempt at competing for promotion, all while managing injuries, changing lineups, and the consistent demand for higher-quality decisions on both recruitment and on-pitch tactics. The story remained one of ongoing adjustment and perseverance as the calendar moved through winter and toward the business end of the campaign.