New boss for Xerez as they take on the big boys

La Liga new boys, Xerez, have named former Osasuna boss Jose Angel Ziganda as their new manager for their first ever season in the top flight of Spanish football.

Forty-two year old Ziganda has been out of the game since last October when Osasuna sacked him six games into the season with no wins and only two goals to their name.

Semi-final

In his first full season as manager in the 2007-08 season, he had guided Osasuna to eleventh place in La Liga and a semi-final spot in the UEFA Cup.

Prior to that season, Ziganda had managed various youth and reserve sides at the club after a decent playing career with both Osasuna and Bilbao.

Terms

It is a shame for Xerez that they had to appoint a new manager after Esteban Vigo departed from the club after failing to agree terms after taking the club into La Liga.

Vigo was unable to agree a new contract despite the fantastic work he had done for the club. Initial talks were held over a contract extension but broke down without a suitable agreement being reached and with some distance between the two parties.

At the time, Vigo told a news conference,

“They made me an offer, I made a counter-offer, but there was no dialogue. If there is no dialogue it is difficult to reach an agreement.”

The failure to agree new terms brought an end to Vigo’s second spell with the club after he was sacked in 2004.

He added,

“Last time I left through the back door. This time I’m leaving after a job well done.”

Despite the change in manager these are exciting times for the Andalucian club. They were founded in 1947 and after several years in regional football they have spent the last thirty-nine seasons in the Segunda Division and the Segunda Division B.

Excellent

The team play at the excellent Estadio Municipal de Chapin which was opened in 1988 and their reserve side, Xerez B, play in the Primera Andaluza.

After many years in obscurity Xerez nearly made it to La Liga in the 2001-02 season when they would have been promoted but for a dreadful run that saw them pick up just four points from their last eight matches.

For the next five seasons they finished in the top ten of the second tier but the last big jump proved just too much. The 2007-08 season was a disappointment and a poor start saw them eventually finish fifteenth.

Style

The disappointment of that season soon wore off as they started last season in great style. They remained in the top positions all season a home victory against SD Huesca on 13th June saw them promoted to the top level for the first time. It got even better when a last day draw at Celta Vigo saw them promoted as champions.

Much as in the English Premier League, newcomers to La Liga have historically found the going quite tough and I don’t expect things will be any different for Xerez. However, they might take some hope from Stoke in England and Hoffenheim in Germany who both survived their first seasons at the top in relative comfort.

Creditable

In last season’s La Liga campaign, the promoted clubs Sporting Gijon and Numancia struggled, but Malaga took the division by storm and finished in a very creditable eighth place.

I shall be keeping a close eye on Xerez’s progress this season as they rub shoulders with the big boys for the first time.