by The city of Ferrol smiles again. After a difficult time for Racing de Ferrol and the Galician city, Cristóbal Parralo has been in charge of returning the smile to every Ferrol native since his arrival on the Racing bench in February 2022.
Racing de Ferrol is living a dream. The team led by Cristóbal Parralo has had the best start of the century in LaLiga Hypermorion, which has allowed them to reach the Christmas break with 37 points in 21 days. Although the objective of the Ferrol team is salvation, Racing de Ferrol is in positions of direct promotion to the First Division, thus occupying second place in the classification, just 2 points behind the leader (Leganés): “Our main objective is to consolidate ourselves in the category. We are very happy with the team’s performance and at the beginning of the season we would never have imagined being where we are right now. There remains a very tough second round, we must not forget that we are a recently promoted team”says Cristóbal Parralo in an interview for SPORT.
permanent progress
And the former FC Barcelona and Espanyol player took the reins of the Galician team in February 2022 to take it to another level. At that time, Racing de Ferrol occupied eighth place in Group I of the First Federation. However, Cristóbal Parralo managed to raise the Galician team to third place in the table at the end of the season. The Andalusian coach He achieved 12 victories, 3 draws and 1 defeat in the 16 days he went to Racing de Ferrol.brilliant numbers that predicted glory for the Galician team.
“We have generated a very great expectation and sense of belonging. Since I arrived in Ferrol, the team has been taking great steps forward, so people feel very proud of the team,” says the Racing de Ferrol coach.
So it was. After only arriving in the second part of the 2021/2022 season, last season Cristóbal Parralo achieved the miracle that the Ferrol club had been looking for for 16 years. The coach born in Priego de Córdoba. He led Racing de Ferrol to promotion to the Second Division after 16 seasons in the First Federation.
With 22 wins, 9 draws and 7 losses, Cristóbal Parralo’s Racing de Ferrol achieved 75 points that allowed them to finish the season in first place in the standings. This promotion would not have been possible without the incredible second round that the Galician team formed, with 12 wins, 6 draws and only 1 defeat.
The union of the team with the fans is the great strength of this team. Because yes, Racing de Ferrol has not lost in A Malata for a whole year: “The fans give us an extra bonus by forming that perfect communion that means we don’t lose points at home. We cannot be a solid team without being strong at home,” says Cristóbal Parralo.
The Ferrol phenomenon arouses interest in the First Division
And the LaLiga teams have already noticed the Ferrol phenomenon led by Cristóbal Parralo. The Alavés has been the first fishing team in the Ría de Ferrol. The Basque club did not hesitate to sign one of the key pieces of the team, Carlos Vicente.
The departure of the right winger is a significant loss for the Galician club. However, there is no time to regret, so Racing de Ferrol is already looking for a replacement: “It is normal for bigger teams to notice our players. The club is already working to sign a winger to replace Carlos Vicente. In addition, we also want to reinforce ourselves with a central defender, we have been thinking about this since the summer,” the Andalusian coach advances.
And what at the end of the season?
Cristóbal Parralo himself ends his contract with the Galician club at the end of the season. It is quite certain that many teams closely follow the coach’s contractual situation. However, it seems that none of them have formally expressed their interest.: “I am very happy in Ferrol and both Carlos Mouriz (general director) and I know that my renewal is not a priority right now. Right now I only think about Racing de Ferrol and, furthermore, I have not received any offer from any team to date,” says Cristóbal Parralo.
The coach of the Galician club was a key player for Espanyol for six seasons in his career as a footballer. However, the hypothetical future links to the world of football do not distract him either: “Although life takes many turns, now I am only focused on Racing de Ferrol. Espanyol is a club that I carry in my heart and that I followBut it seems disrespectful to me to talk about other clubs when I belong to Racing de Ferrol,” says the coach of the Galician team.
Dream cup holder gift from kings
Now, from second place in LaLiga Hypermotion, Cristóbal Parralo contemplates how his team has the opportunity to be promoted directly to the First Division. However, next Sunday, January 7, the A Malata stadium will host the Galician team’s cup dream with a duel against Sevilla in style.
The Seville team is not at its best both sportingly and institutionally. Furthermore, Racing de Ferrol has not lost to its people for a year. That is why the fans believe more than ever in their team’s classification.
However, Cristóbal Parralo wanted to remember that Sevilla is a historic club that fights for all the titles: “Sevilla is the favorite without a doubt. It is true that anything can happen in a single-match tie, but they have players who compete with the best in the world. It is a prize to be able to play against Sevilla, we will do everything possible to beat them.”
Next Sunday, January 7, A Malata will once again put its unbeaten record at stake. The warmth of the Ferrol fans can finish shielding the Racing de Ferrol fortress as a gift from kings. If not, Sevilla will achieve what no team has been able to do in the last year.
