This preview of Levante's season was written by Allen Dodson of Villarreal USA
La Liga Team Previews: Can Levante Pull A Rabbit Out Of Their Hat Once Again?
Levante were supposed to be a one-year wonder in the Primera División. They won promotion from the Segunda as the third-placed team and started off, as expected, at the bottom of the table. But then, a curious thing happened.
Coach Luis Garcîa Plaza, with virtually no funds at his disposal, succeeded in welding a bunch of castoffs, Segunda veterans, and loanees into a half-decent unit, using psychology and team-building exercises in addition to the usual training routines. The team made a video of the players singing along to the fans, apologizing at the end for their lack of vocal ability but “promising to make it up on the pitch”. And make it up the Granotes did.
At one point Levante had the third best record among La Liga clubs in the second half of the campaign, losing only to Real Madrid in a 12-game span from late January to late April. In the end they finished a comfortable 14th, though their loss to Real Zaragoza on the last matchday condemned no-longer super Depor (Deportivo la Coruña) to the Liga Adelante next season rather than Zara.
Levante accomplished all this with no investment in players, and if they are going to stay up will have to do the same again. Unfortunately, coach Garcia has taken his motivational skills to the Burger Boys of Getafe, and his place has been taken by Juan Ignacio, who managed Cartagena last season. It's his first Primera coaching gig, though he's been in the business since 1997.
As you might expect given their budget constraints and their location (in the Valencian Community) Levante has relied a lot on loans and free transfers of players from other area teams, especially Valencia and Villarreal.
But the single player most responsible for their survival last year came from Manchester City, Ecuadorian international Felipe Caicedo. He netted 13 times in 27 games for the Granotes last year, but such are the economic constraints Levante works under that although they scraped up the bargain €1.5 million to buy him, they immediately sold him to Locomotiv Moscow for €7.5 million. Quite a return on investment, but the team will miss his goalscoring prowess, as it will that of fellow loanee Christian Stuani, who has returned to Italy.
Let’s be honest. This team is old, especially in defense. How many 35-year old defenders do you know playing in top European leagues? Levante has three of them, Villarreal legend Javi Venta, man-mountain Sergio Ballesteros, and the redoubtable Juanfran. Valencia castoff Del Horno (whose loan period ended, but who might return) is 30, former Getafe man Nano is 31, as is Juanlu. Uruguayan keeper Munua should feel right at home-he’s 33.
Levante have picked up Costa Rica goalkeeper Kaylor Navas on loan from Albecete; it’ll be interesting to see of he displaces Munua as first-choice. If he does, and he plays as well as he did in the 2009 Gold Cup, the creaky defense might not be as significant a liability as everyone expects.
They've also signed Xavi Torres, a defensive midfielder from Málaga (on loan), right back Pedro López from Valladolid, and Carlos Aranda, a 31-year old striker from Osasuna, on a free transfer. He'll join fellow thirtysomethings Valdo and Ruben Suaréz in attack, and the team can call on Rafa Jorda, a tall center forward who scored a couple of goals last year, to be a target man up front. But realistically, that's a pretty underwhelming attack group.
Levante’s big hope up front is Wellington Silva, the Brazilian starlet whom Arsenal signed only to have the FA deny him a permit to play in England. His first loan period with Levante last spring was noteworthy mainly for coach Garcia’s admonition to him to stop spending so much time on social networks and stuffing himself with pizza at the local Italian joints.
Perhaps this year he can earn more playing time and justify Arsenal's investment. Unfortunately, without Stuani, Caicedo or his fellow Ecuadorian, Jefferson Montero, loaned to Betis this year by Villarreal, to help out, it may be a forlorn hope.
Historically, Levante has been a Segunda División team. If Kaylor Navas turns out to be an incredible goalkeeper, if Wellington Silva can produce some magic up front, and if coach Ignacio can prove to be the same master motivator as the departed Garcia, then Levante might defy the odds again and stay up. Don’t bet on it.
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