With a Relatively Low Squad Capital, Granada Tops LaLiga Standings

DBasia.news –  After successfully conquering Barcelona last September, Granada CF continued to provide surprises during the 2019-2020 LaLiga match. This is evidenced by the ability of Granada to reach the top position in the LaLiga standings and was able to maintain consistency in playing.

Playing week 10 against Real Betis at Los Carmenes, Granada won 1-0 through a goal scored by Alvaro Vadillo in minute 61. An additional three points was enough for Granada to rise to the top of the standings with 20 points.

When the media and the public discussed the postponement of the El Clasico match between Barcelona against Real Madrid because of the demonstration in Catalunya, Granada was able to top the LaLiga standings with a one-match lead – one point from Barca in second.

As a note, Granada had just been promoted to LaLiga in June 2019 from the Segunda Division, then defeated Barcelona in September 2019, and now in October, topped the LaLiga standings. Don’t be surprised if Sid Lowe, a writer in the Guardian, has made a special article about Granada.

“This should not have happened. But Granada is the only one of the three promotion teams of all time who top the standings in this phase,” Sid Lowe wrote.

Even worse, according to Transfermarkt, the value of the Granada squad is only 33.5 million euros – a relatively low value in Europe – and is below the official top European players, such as Frenkie de Jong who has reached more than 70 million euros.

The average salary in the Granada squad is also limited to 35.46 million euros, above them are Real Valladolid (32.03 million euros) and Mallorca (29.96 million euros). So, actually there is nothing special in the current Granada squad.

In fact, Granada’s funding this summer is no more than 10 million euros or more precisely 7.25 million euros after purchasing Domingos Duarte, Yan Brice, and Darwin Machis (Roberto Soldado was recruited for free).

Granada realize they were unable to compete financially with other clubs. They covered it with the purchase of efficient players – according to the needs of coach, Diego Martinez.

“We don’t have (money) millions of euros but we have business, enthusiasm and ambition,” said Granada defender, German Sanchez.

“If I have lemons then I will make lemon juice, if I have oranges I will make orange juice,” Martinez added.

Martinez, 38, became one of the youngest coaches in LaLiga and had never trained in the highest caste before. However, Martinez is a figure that has formed a strong collectivity in the Granada squad, a team that almost went bankrupt after the relegation to Segunda in 2016-17.

Three things in the characteristics of Martinez’s Granada game are: aggressiveness, applying pressure cohesively, and trying to grab the ball in the opponent’s defense (to counterattack). Simple but efficient.

“The players … you ask what the secret is. The players,” Martinez said confidently when asked about Granada’s successful recipe at the start of the season.

Not only from the sacrifice and collectivity of Granada players, they also receive full support from supporters who Martinez salutes.

“You can feel it; they also enjoy this. The connection is very great, for two hours everyone forgets their problems; when fans see your performance, share your values, it’s great. It is amazing to be in this situation,” explained Martinez.

Like the term, slowly but surely, today Granada must enjoy the process without having to think about their position in LaLiga. Ignore it and keep going.

“We do not see the numbers (statistics and position). I apologize for being like this, but this is what has brought us so far,” concluded German Sanchez.