That Levante by Luis García Plaza
Luis Garcia Plaza He arrived at Levante in the season 2008-2009. It was a very young technician (36 years) that he did not have much experience in the Second Division.
The club was going through a very difficult period. Not only had he just been downgraded to silver, but he had saved himself from demise by a sheer miracle.. With this panorama, it was time to roll up their sleeves to make a competitive squad in just 15 days before the start of the season.
I remember perfectly that preseason 2008-2009. Levante agreed to friendly matches against nearby teams like Castellón, Benidorm, Teruel and Orihuela, among others. Precisely in Alicante lands we had the opportunity to chat with Luis Garcia after drawing against a Second B team like Orihuela. He was as close and optimistic about the challenge he was facing, aware of the great opportunity that sitting on the granota bench meant for him.
Levante began that summer with a squad full of players from the subsidiary. The first ‘professionals’ in arriving they were david cerra Y ruben suarez. All of them, plus those who came later, they accepted contractual conditions in accordance with the current situation. The only crack’ that remained from the previous season was Alex Geijo, the star of the team.
Little by little others were arriving like Sergio Ballesteros, a veteran who had to bring experience to a group full of young people like Hector Rodas O Vicente Iborra. We must highlight the great work carried out by Manolo Salvador who, with remnants and discards from other equipment, He knew how to put together a group that, by the hand of Luis García and his coaching staff, gave the face.
that season 2008-2009, in which Levante UD started with one of the lowest budgets in the category, ended positively. The team finished in eighth position and the barely 4.000 subscribers that the club had at that time, they recovered the illusion after so much suffering. But nevertheless, the best was yet to come.
Centenary and rise
arrived the season 2009-2010, the one of the centenary. A very humble centenary, given that the economy of the club in full Bankruptcy Law did not allow excesses, but that was celebrated in style. It was not be for lowerly, Levante UD complied 100 years after being mortally wounded.
Again, the Levante of Luis García lived up to. Not only that, Against all odds, the granotas achieved a promotion that is part of history. The Juanlu, Xisco Nadal, ruben suarez, Ballesteros, Juanfran, Iborra and company achieved an incredible feat. The big party was against Castellón on the penultimate day with a City of Valencia almost full. The scared frog victory 3-1 attached to draw for Real Betis in the helmantic of Salamanca confirmed the miracle: Levante was in the First Division.
That promotion meant a breath of fresh air for the battered granota economy. Yes, no mistakes of the past were going to be made. already with Quico Catalan as president, the Levante kept the block that had ascended and, again, hired players who had excelled in the past but were not going through a good time and, Of course, at zero cost.
Sergio Gonzalez, From the oven, Stuani, caicedo, Nano… joined the block Luis Garcia I had created the two previous campaigns. Although the first round was very hard (Levante only added 15 points and was the number one candidate for relegation), the team reacted and, in a memorable second round, finished with a total of 45 units achieving a 'comfortable' permanence.
The end of Luis García's cycle
It was then that Luis Garcia decided to change scenery. Getafe set its eyes on the Madrid coach and Levante, logically, referred to the termination clause of one million euros that the coach had in his contract to let him go. This is how one of the most brilliant stages of one of the best coaches the club has ever had ended. A young man who arrived at a very difficult time and who was able to get the most out of what he had. with that basis, Levante managed to qualify to play the Europa League one year later, a miracle unthinkable a couple of years before.
Part of the fans did not understand the coach's march. In fact, It hurt many of us that he was not the one to take the team to Europe since, for many, JIM He did nothing more than continue the work done by his predecessor. In any case, Luis Garcia will always have the car
