When the 2013-14 season came to a close in May the reputation of Joaquin Caparros had certainly been improved. In his first season as Coach of Levante he led Les Granotes to a respectable 10th place. Such was his achievement that club President Quico Catalan offered him a two-year contract so to build upon the good work. However, to the shock of Levante’s fans, Caparros rejected the offer and decided to leave and fill the vacant position at Granada.
Granada finished in 15th place last season but some would say were lucky to avoid relegation, as their attack was toothless. They scored the third fewest goals in the division but surprising results such as beating Barcelona at home went a long way in avoiding the drop. However, with La Liga survival guaranteed it was thought that with someone like Caparros at the helm, Los Carmenes could prepare themselves accordingly in the summer for the season ahead.
Alas, that hasn’t been the case, as the club have badly regressed. Granada are rooted at the foot of the table and although they are just two points off safety Caparros has been given the axe. The table but also statistics during the season justify his departure. Granada have scored just 11 goals this season, the lowest in La Liga. Their highest goal scorer is Youssef El Arabi with three goals followed by Fran Rico and Jhon Cley with two.
The Andalusian outfit have won just two League games this season and are on a horrible run, winless in 14 attempts since defeating Athletic Bilbao at Estadio San Mames back in late September. Frustratingly for Caparros they’ve drawn eight League games, the most in the division, losing out on 16 points. What’s even more galling is that if Granada recouped merely eight of those lost points they would be in ninth place. If luck had smiled on the ex-Sevilla Coach then maybe he would still be at the club.
What hurt Caparros was losing his best players during the summer. On the defensive side, Guilherme Siqueira’s switch to Atletico Madrid was a blow but it was the sale of Yacine Brahimi to Porto that severely hurt their attacking corps. Brahimi’s impressive performances in the World Cup for Algeria benefited the 24-year-old career-wise but a mortal blow for Granada. They haven’t really replaced him, which shows in the table, but notably in their lack of goals and also assists.
Assistant Joseba Aguado will take charge of the club while a replacement is found – Abel Resino the favourite – but Caparros’ sacking has come at a bad time, as they travel to Atletico Madrid. But their following fixture, away to 16th-placed Deportivo La Coruba on January 25 is crucial. Victory against the Galicians will bring hope that Granada can maintain their La Liga status. Lose and it will hasten their relegation prospects.
