Granada won promotion to La Liga, but what now – La Liga special
Granada CF will be playing with the big boys in the 2011/12 edition of La Liga. It is going to be tough and they will be on the receiving end against big teams in the Spanish top flight. The players will have to get ready to be frustrated and disappointed
as their favourite team is all set to follow the footsteps of http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Almeria-UD-c38337.
Granada won promotion thanks to play-off wins against Celta de Vigo and Elche CF. The players showed great composure as they won against Celta in a penalty shootout after the scored ended in a 1-1 deadlock. They won against Elche thanks to the away goals
rule. Promotion was always on the cards in the second leg of the playoffs final as the first-leg at their home ground ended in a goalless draw.
The second leg was entertaining as both teams went for the kill. It was the visitors, Granada, who opened the scoring in the 28th minute. Nigerian striker http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Odion-Ighalo-c28312 rounded the goalkeeper as he scored the important away goal for his adopted
side. Like many others, the striker was on-loan from parent club Udinese.
After a hiatus of 35 years, the Andalusian side will be back in Spain’s top tier football competition. They will be looking towards their parent club, Udinese, for quality players as they harbour hopes of retaining their top-flight status.
Udinese can help the feeder outfit with quality young players thanks to their extensive scouting team. The Zeberette have good connections in South America and Africa, from where they have poached the superstars of tomorrow.
Among the players available on load is Odion Ighalo, who was snapped up by Udinese from Norway’s FK Lyn. The player is a former captain of Nigeria U-20 team which took part in the 2009 U20 FIFA World Cup in Egypt. Udinese loanee http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Alexandre-Geijo-c4893 had a great
year. The former-Malaga player led the scoring charts for the club, scoring 24 league goals in 34 matches.
The club have a talented roster, though, and they will be very vital for the team in-addition to the bargain buys and loan movements to the outfit. Juan Jose Collantes had a great year for the Granada-based outfit. The Spanish winger scored 8 goals for the
team as they ended fifth on the table, qualifying for the playoffs in the process.
In the centre of the park, the squad has competent deputies in Mikel Rico Moreno and http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Abel-Gómez-c3430 Moreno. The players complemented each other throughout the campaign, pulling the strings from the middle. It was thanks to the heroics of these players that the
strikers were able to tear the defences apart.
Granada signed Spanish goalkeeper Roberto Fernandez Alvarellos last June, and the shot-stopper has been solid at the back. Taking part in 40 competitive matches, the player did well to repay the faith put in him by the club.
The first team squad at Granada is still very small and needs a lot of replacement. The team has to be reinforced in all the departments if the club wishes to stay beyond this season. The team does not possess a reliable striker as the loan-deals of their
front men end while the absence of a quality attacking midfielder will hurt the Andalusians in the competition. The current squad will be the punching bags of La Liga if the squad depth is not increased.
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