Girona trusts in two brothers to return to First Division

BarcelonaThe brothers Quique and Óscar Álvarez are the new coaches of Girona FC for the next season. The sporting direction, led by Quique Cárcel, trusts the reserve team's coaches for the return to Primera. A major challenge for two figures with experience in Javier Calleja's technical staff – one of the names that sounded for occupying the white-and-red bench – but who will begin their first adventure in professional football as head and assistant coach. They will be accompanied by Jordi Balcells, the physical trainer during Pablo Machín's tenure, who was also with them both in the reserve team.

After being promoted to the Second Federation a season ago with Girona B, this past season – the debut in the fourth category of Spanish football – the team has finished in mid-table. Achievements that have served the Álvarez brothers to climb to the first team, even though they were not the club's first choice after Míchel's departure.

The sporting management asked several coaches about the possibility of landing at Montilivi. Carles Martínez – who has signed for Bayer Leverkusen –, García Pimienta, Aday Benítez – the preferred option for a large part of the fans – or Rubi – who on Sunday lost the final of the play-off for promotion to the First Division with Almeria – are other names that have been heard and considered in recent weeks, but which have not borne fruit. Finally, the club has decided to bet on what was within the current structure.

Bet on local talent

It is a clear continuation bet. Trained at Barça's La Masia –Quique Álvarez coached the Cadet A and Juvenil B teams and was an assistant to García Pimienta at Juvenil A, and Óscar Álvarez was a player in the Barça youth system– the pair of brothers have developed a football of combination, but with a clear offensive vocation, with special prominence for the wing players.

The white-and-red reserve team was the top scorer in the Catalan group of the Tercera Federación – with Min-su Kim as a standout figure – and has once again excelled in this aspect in the Segunda Federación, despite the complications they have had throughout the season because the best players were recruited by the first team.

All in all, it also reaffirms the club's commitment to homegrown talent as the basis for rebuilding Girona's new project. In addition to the official signings of Oleksandr Pyschur and Izan González, the return of loan players Min-su Kim, Jastin Garcia, Dawda Camara, and Antal Yaakobishvili is added (besides Gabriel Misehouy and Toni Fuidias, who are expected to terminate their contracts with Girona). All four footballers were part of the Girona B promotion squad and, therefore, already know what it is like to work with Quique and Óscar Álvarez.

This should allow more academy players to be seen in the first team – one of the things the fans have criticized about Míchel's tenure. Players like Lass Kourouma or Ricard Artero, who have already debuted in La Liga, are waiting for their opportunity in this new Girona project.

Who are Quique and Óscar Álvarez?

Characterized by the 4-2-3-1, Quique, who will be the head coach, and Óscar, who will be his second, decided two years ago to join forces after accumulating years of experience on other benches. After leaving Barça, where he coincided with Abel Ruiz, Quique Álvarez was part of Javier Calleja's technical staff at Villarreal, Alavés, and Levante. At the "groguet" and Basque team, he managed Iván Martín, currently in the Girona squad, but with options to pack his bags this summer.

In the case of Óscar Álvarez – who was a Girona player between 2008 and 2010 – he was primarily trained at Llagostera under the guidance of former Girona sporting director Oriol Alsina, whom he also accompanied to Badalona Futur. Furthermore, he was also assistant coach to Albert Celades at Valencia during the 2019/20 season. Both brothers are also sons of Quique Costa, a former player and former coach of Barça.