by He arrived at a club in positions of decline and with dynamic loser. One year later, Jose Alberto Lopez has achieved that Santander Racing Go eat the grapes at Primera promotion stands, let it be the top scorer in LaLiga Hypermotion and that, “little by little”, a winning team is being “built.”
José Alberto (Oviedo, 1982) reviews his first 365 days on the bench of the Cantabrian team, which they have won with a balance of 69 points in 43 games, of which he has achieved 33 in the first round of this season, and which have allowed him to rub shoulders with the big budgets called to fight for promotion. “It has gone by very quickly, it seems like it was yesterday when I arrived here. A fantastic year because we have fitted in very well in the city, very well in the club, very well with the players… I think we make a very good group all together “, it states.
The balance of the people of Santander in the first round is 9 wins, 6 draws and 6 losses, In addition to being the fittest team in the last six days. “These are very good numbers. Building a winning team takes time and we are working on it,” he says. Those numbers are not in the head of José Alberto, who is not used to looking at the classification and who remains focused on reaching 50 points, which are usually enough to maintain the category. “We have 17 points left, let’s see if we can get it as quickly as possible,” underlines. José Alberto remembers that, when he arrived at Racing, it was a team “more used to losing than winning and changing that takes time.”
“Little by little we are making a team thatgetting used to winning and getting used to winning is competing every day to the limit to win because victories, many times, what they do is relax you and not keep you alert,” he emphasizes.
Despite the euphoria that exists among the Racing fans, eager to add one more season to the 44 that the club has played in the First Division, the last in 2012, José Alberto never tires of calling for calm. “It’s what I have to do, I know the category very well and it’s very difficult,” insists the coach from Oviedo, with experience in Sporting de Gijón, Mirandés and Málaga.
José Alberto López, in an interview with EFE /EFE
Returning to work after the holidays.
Racing will return from its vacation on January 2 to prepare for the match against Eibar on the 12th, although it will not be until the weekend of the 21st when football returns to Santander. “Almost a month without playing at Sardinero is going to be a long time for all of us,” admits José Alberto. “Football people like to watch Racing.” What José Alberto likes most about his team is, precisely, that he is attractive. “Many football people tell me that, they always like to watch Racing,” he explains.
José Alberto considers that he has a “compensated” template between veterans who know the category very well and young people who are hungry and who, together, “give everything and look for the rival goal and the three points until the end.” Of course, the team must improve, according to José Alberto, in the defensive aspect, because, while in attack it has “a lot of ability to score goals”, it is difficult for it to keep a clean sheet, but it has to do so without ceasing to be “cheerful” . , get to the rival area and press high,” he insists.
The coach believes that “the average level is higher” this year in the Second Division than in previous years because the teams at the bottom are better than other years. He also believes that the level above is lower than other years. “I don’t see any team that is going to stand out,” affects. For all this, he sees the championship as “very close”. “Everyone is capable of beating anyone and scoring points in any stadium.”
José Alberto López, Racing coach /EFE
“Very tight” to the transfer market
Racing de Santander does not close the door to any incorporation in the winter transfer market. “We always have the ambition to try to improve, but taking into account two things: that we are very happy with the squad and that we are very tight on the budget limit,” explains the Asturian coach. He faces this “calm” period because there are no players for sale, they assure him from the club, but aware that the players are free to pay the termination clause and leave. “We can’t do anything there. Adapt and try to get another player to give us the same or better performance than the one who is leaving,” he says.
Unconcerned about renewal
In June 2024, José Alberto’s contract with Racing ends. although, at the moment, he is not worried about “anything.” “I have always said it, I am very happy in Santander and with the club. I am an ambitious person, I want to grow and I believe that Racing also wants to grow,” he points out. From there, they will sit down to talk. “when it’s time.” Regarding the pressure of the benches, José Alberto assures that he loves to coach this type of teams because they are “the ones that can aspire” to be where he wants. “And I’m doing well,” he emphasizes. “I am lucky to have a family that supports me and accompanies me everywhere and I feel truly privileged to enjoy my dream, which is to make a living from football and be a coach,” confesses José Alberto.
For 2024 he asks, in addition to health for racing, that the year be “a little better than 2023.” “The goal has to always be to improve 2023, which I think has been excellent, but we want 2024 to be a little better,” apostille.
