Elche seeks stability with Anselmi after losing key players

Fifteen months after Elche sealed promotion at Riazor with Eder Sarabia in charge, the Ilicitano side returns to A Coruña undergoing a major overhaul. The franjiverdes have suffered significant departures: the coach himself, Álvaro Rodríguez sold to Bournemouth for €25 million (half going to Real Madrid), Aleix Febas to Celta, André Da Silva to FC Porto, and Rafa Mir, their second-top scorer last season.

Anselmi and a different project

New manager Martín Anselmi arrives at 41 years old, a coach new to Spain but with an impressive CV: two Copa Sudamericana titles won with Independiente del Valle and spells at Porto and Botafogo. His approach centres on high pressing, an advanced defensive line and vertical football designed to control matches. No longer chasing trophies, but rather bedding the team into the elite after a tight survival campaign last term.

On the transfer front, Elche have retained Austrian centre-back David Affengruber, a key defensive figure. Arrivals include returnees from loan deals — right-back Buba Sangaré, centre-back Víctor Chust and midfielder Gonzalo Villar, a Murcia native returning from Dinamo Zagreb. The summer's standout signing is Argentine playmaker Facundo Buonanotte, arriving from Brighton after stints at Leicester, Chelsea and Leeds, and will wear the number 10. Fer Niño from Burgos and Ezequiel Ponce, a familiar face to supporters, have also joined to compete for places up front alongside Abiel Osorio.