DAMA DE ELCHE IS NOT ROMANIAN…

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In a bizarre ‘you couldn’t make it up’ saga, a Romanian full back called Cristian Sapunaru drove all the way from Bucharest in his native country – 3,100 kms – to Elche this week with his pretty young wife, who doesn’t like flying and stayed in the Millenium Hotel at the City of Palms, which the club use regularly.

Well, either the air conditioning wasn’t working, or she didn’t like the shops, who knows, but the back-seat driving lady put her foot down and said no to the move – so it’s all off. Who said Romania’s a male-dominated country and their women are exploited? Here’s one who clearly isn’t…

I’m worried: Elche seem hell-bent on signing players in positions already well-served. Last Friday much was made of the signing of new goalkeeper Tono from hated rivals Granada, the team that ‘beat’ Elche in the play-off final two years ago to go up only on an away goal scored in a 1 – 1 draw, resulting in lots of nasty ‘afters’ from the presidents down through the club.

The Illicitanos already have two good goalkeepers (and full backs) at the Martinez Valero, it’s class strikers who can put the ball in the net regularly we need, and one or two decent suppliers to ‘em wouldn’t go amiss. In those key departments we have one of each arrived from Seville, a striker Manu del Moral and an international midfielder originally from Serbia, Miroslav Stevanovich.

A good bet seems another midfielder, Ruben Perez, who’s having trouble getting a regular game in mighty Athletico Madrid’s first team, so he’s on a one-year loan to the Illicitanos. That’s more like it, no expensive risky transfer fees the club can’t afford. Fellow-promotees Villarreal, and Seville’s Real Betis are both in La Liga and were interested in Perez, but it appears that unlike Mrs Sapunaro, the Perez people preferred palm trees: perfect…

Promise I won’t say it any more, but my favourite and king-pin of the brilliant defence that got Elche promoted in the last glorious season, one Xavier Etxeita has gone on a free transfer back to Athletico Bilbao and his heartland. In his place in central defence to partner retained Catalan Sergio Pelligrin, now 35 with his best years behind him we now have David Lomban signed from Barcelona ‘B’: now there’s a pedigree.

Elche’s first pre-season game has taken place in Pinatar, a 2 – 0 win over ‘Selection AFE’ (?) before a crowd of 800. The Illicitanos starting eleven was: Diego Rivas, Damian Suarez, Omgba, Samu, Charlie, Sergi, Mantecón, Fidel, Generelo, Manu del Moral and Coro. Playing substitutes were Toño, Lombán, Super, Albacar, Stevanovic, Pelayo, Rivera, Aaron, Carles Gil and Powel. Elche’s goals were scored by Manu del Moral in the 33rd minute and the second three minutes later by Coro.

Of the above Pelayo and Powel are on the transfer list, and besides Etxeita Elche have let go Flano, Hector Verdes, Palanca, Linares (retired), Xumetra (to Levante), and disappointingly – Angel, who scored 15 last season, but has recently failed to reproduce his exciting form in the final part of last season since he returned from Levante.

Two more ‘friendlies’ are arranged pre-season as Elche take on mighty Benfica on 31st July, and arch rivals, match-fixingly-charged Hercules on 3rd August. The big season kicks off away to Rayo Vallecano on 18/19th August

Elche have delightedly announced the sale of 20,233 season tickets already, it seems the city are excited to be back in the big time – even if Mrs Sapunaru doesn’t want to be crowned the new Dama De Elche…

Mucho Elche!

Filed under: http://www.theleader.info/article/39967/

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