Bordalás works a Getafe miracle in race for Europe | OneFootball

José Bordalás has turned a threadbare start into a Getafe side chasing Europe. They sit eighth on 38 points, level with Athletic and 10 clear of the drop with nine games left, hosting them on Sunday at 14:00 at the Coliseum.

“Give him Lucien Agoumé and you think he is Vieira, give him Akor Adams and you think he is Drogba… it is crazy,” said former Getafe midfielder Javier Casquero, speaking to Radio Marca, highlighting Bordalás’s work with one of La Liga’s leanest budgets.

The season began chaotically with only 13 senior players available for the opener, the bench completed by the B team, yet Getafe won 2-0 at Balaídos through Liso and Uche. Uche was soon sold to Crystal Palace, a blow that underlined Bordalás’s frustration with limited reinforcements.

The response has been familiar, built on work, discipline, structure and total buy-in. Getafe have scored 25 for those 38 points, the second-lowest tally behind bottom club Oviedo, yet have conceded only 31, the fourth-best record after Madrid, Barça and Atlético.

January eased the strain. Satriano arrived on loan from Lyon, then was signed permanently after three crucial goals, while Birma, Boselli, Luis Vázquez and Zaid Romero added depth and options.

After victory at Espanyol in Cornellà, Bordalás lauded players who, he said, are giving everything every game, while insisting survival still comes first and recalling that in December he had to use Liso and Mario up front due to shortages.

Now on 302 top-flight matches as a coach, his climb began in 1993 at Alicante CF and ran through Benidorm, Eldense, Novelda, Hércules, Alcoyano, Elche, Alcorcón and Alavés before promotion with Getafe in 2017. Club president Ángel Torres has said his future depends on offers, and he has been linked with Crystal Palace, though Bordalás remains focused on squeezing this squad to the finish.

Source: El Correo