Imanol Alguacil will take charge of his 300th official match as head coach of Real Sociedad this evening, a milestone he hopes to celebrate with a Copa del Rey victory over Tercera RFEF side Jove Español. Kick-off is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. local time at the Rico Pérez stadium in Alicante, where the txuriurdin will face a team deprived of most of its international players, relying instead on less frequent starters and promising talent from the team reserves.
It is certain that Imanol would not have anticipated reaching this milestone of 300 matches when he took charge of his first match on April 1, 2018, during the 30th day of LaLiga 2017-18, against Eibar in Ipurua, who It ended in a scoreless draw. The Orio-born coach found himself in the top flight sooner than expected, taking over from Eusebio Sacristán after his dismissal, and his real rise came a few months later following the dismissal of Asier Garitano.
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Initially contracted until 2020, Imanol guided the team to Europa League qualification and a Copa del Rey final in his first season, which they won a year later. Following his success, he extended his contract until 2023, and as the club continued to prosper under his leadership, he was also granted an extension until 2025. With five consecutive European qualifications and an attractive style of play, he is expected to re-sign in the coming days, potentially extending his stay until 2027.
This season he will surpass the 324 matches managed by league champion Alberto Ormaetxea, placing him just behind John Toshack (386) and Benito Díaz (388) in the club’s managerial history.
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Before that, tonight, Imanol’s Real Sociedad will face Jove Español at Rico Pérez Stadium at 9:00 p.m., in a Copa del Rey first round match rescheduled due to recent adverse weather conditions. The Gipuzkoan club sought to postpone the match further, having up to 12 players on international duty and several others on the sidelines due to injuries.
As a result, Imanol left out key players such as Remiro, Zubimendi, Zubeldia, Óskarsson, Oyarzabal, Becker, Javi López, Kubo, Aguerd, Brais Méndez, Sucic, Aramburu and Jon Martín, many of them starters regular. As a result, tonight will be an opportunity for Marrero, Odriozola, Pacheco, González de Zárate, Olasagasti and other less frequent players to shine, with Sadiq withdrawing at the last minute due to muscle discomfort.
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In addition, the team includes up to 10 players from the reserves: Fraga, Balda, Rupérez, Beitia, Goti, Mikel Rodríguez, Mariezkurrena, Marchal, Orobengoa, and the return of Pablo Marín. The possible starting eleven could include Marrero, Odriozola, Aritz, Pacheco, Aihen; Urko, Turrientes, Olasagasti, Marín ; Orobengoa or Mariezkurrena, et Magunazelaia.
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