The most unusual Cruyff admirer who wants to face Barça

BarcelonaJosé Bordalás is the man of the moment at Getafe. The Alicante-born coach has begun his ninth season, divided into two stages, on the Coliseum bench. Although many people define him as a defensive coach, he claims that one of his technical role models is Johan Cruyff. This Sunday (at 9 p.m. live on DAZN), and thanks to the delay in the construction work at Camp Nou, he will visit a stadium named after the former Barça player.. Without a doubt, a special duel.

Bordalás is one of the most important figures in the history of the Madrid club, the person who brought them back to the First Division and who helped them return to Europe in the 2018/19 season. "Getafe has two key men. One is Ángel Torres, the president, and the other is Bordalás, the pillar on which the entire club is based," José Palacio, a journalist from Cadena SER, told ARA. "More than a coach, he is the representative and defender of the club's image," adds Álvaro Ramos of the newspaper. Ace, in reference to the dad, As they call him there.

Formed in the semi-professional categories of Spanish football, he arrived at Getafe in the 2016/17 season with the team in the Second Division. The coach had just promoted Alavés to the First Division, but the Basque club's sporting management opted not to continue their ties with Bordalás. It was at that difficult time in his career that he received the call from Ángel Torres. "He's managed to make the fans embrace an identity they lacked before. We've found the philosophy of being the villains of the League," says Ramos.

A well-defined but controversial game idea

All of this with a very defined style of play, but one that is often unpopular with opponents. "He prepares matches down to the last detail, not a single detail escapes him. He likes to press high and be a vertical team with a very advanced defense. Bordalás studies the opponent in detail to create a loss and take advantage of it," describes Ramos. Juli Cerdá, a player with more than 100 matches under the Alicante-born coach, defines him as pure football: "Intensity, getting to the opposing goal quickly, and pressing after a loss." A style of play not without controversy. "When Getafe is criticized for the way they play, it's because they've earned a point or won," admits Palacio. "We think it's a bad sign to go to a stadium, see them beat you 2-0, and be congratulated for how you played. I prefer to win and have people complain about the way I played," says Ramos.

Another virtue is his character. "He has created a character both in football and personally. He created the motto of ""This is football, dad." "That for a fan base as small as Getafe's, it generates a sense of belonging to their team," says Palacio. Cerdá, who has shared a dressing room with him for many years, describes him as a "humble, approachable, and very hard-working person to whom no one has ever given anything for free." A closeness that Sergio Llamas (current Gravin player) also highlights at Alavés. "He's a serious man who likes everyone to give their all in training and matches. Off the pitch, if you need to talk to him, you can; he's a coach who understands his players."

A key way of being is conveying his game plan. "He's a born psychologist. With budgets and rosters more limited than other clubs, he's capable of achieving gold, just through his day-to-day work and convincing the players with his idea," Cerdá recalls. "He always gets the most out of the squad and adapts to his players," Ramos explains. However, Llamas points out that, unlike other coaches who have a certain style of play but work on other possibilities, "with Bordalás, every training session is geared toward his idea, which is why he gets so much out of it, because he works hard."

A coach who has earned a place in the First Division through hard work, perseverance, and effort. Now he's become a living legend at Getafe, a key figure in its history who has given an identity to a fan base that has regained its enthusiasm. On Sunday, he visits the Johan Cruyff Stadium, one of its key figures, just one point behind Barça. "He's found a place where they've let him work the way he wants. When they've given him the time and the conditions, he's shown what Bordalás is all about and what he can offer the teams he goes to," Llamas concludes.