Elche already has a new coach. After Francisco Rodríguez and Jorge Almirón, the illegal team opted for Pablo Machín to take charge of the team, top of the First Division with only 4 points and without a win in 14 games. Machín returns, in this way, to a bench after the experiences in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ain and Al Raed and having trained in Primera, without much luck, in Sevilla, Espanyol and Alabès, once he left Girona in 2018. The coach from Soria will start working next week with his coaching staff where Jordi Balcells will be there, as physical trainer. Machín’s debut with Elche will be in Guadalajara in a Cup match in December.
At Martínez Valero, Machín will have his fifth experience in the top division. With Girona (17-18) he was the one with whom he had the most success because, after promoting it for the first time, he managed to keep it quietly in the year of the premiere. From there, Sevilla paid one million euros to Girona to take him away. Things weren’t going bad (in the League it was sixth), but the unexpected elimination in the Europa League led to his dismissal. The following year he agreed to take over from David Gallego at Espanyol, confident that he could enjoy reinforcements in the winter market. In truth, he was sacked after four wins, three draws and eight defeats in fifteen games across all competitions. To finish, Alabès (20-21) fulminated him with the team out of relegation after eighteen days. In January of this year he was also fired from Al Raed, the second Saudi team he managed after Al Ain.
