Hugo Álvarez breaks more than 20 years of Ourense ‘drought’ at Celta de Vigo

In the middle of the weekend of the beginning of Reconquista, Hugo Álvarez (Ourense, 2003) has gradually emerged as Cachamuíña into a Celta that recovers its ground battle by battle. The consolidation of the young man in the celestial first team is a fact. If he had already had some minutes with Rafa Benítez, and previously with Coudet, the arrival of Claudio Giráldez has given him his first start. What is striking is not only the quality of the 20-year-old attacker, but also his origin, Ourense, the same as that of the hero of that March 1809. The neighboring province, despite its proximity to Vigo, has provided only 15 footballers for the celestial stages in the highest category of Spanish football.

People from Ourense and Vigo merge in the Ciudad Olívica. There are many people from the province of As Burgas who have moved a few kilometers to the west over the last few decades to get better opportunities. One of them was Hugo himself, who at the age of 10 was signed by Celta from Ponte Ourense at a time when, later, he even caught the attention of Barça and Real Madrid, but chose to stay at his club. life. Likewise, every weekend, a large group of fans line the A-52 to watch Celta play, but, nevertheless, They have rarely enjoyed a footballer from their own land on the pitch of Balaídos.

Hugo Álvarez has arrived to stop the Ourense ‘drought’ in the lands of Vigo. He debuted with Celta in the Copa del Rey in the 2021-2022 season, when he was still a youth player, under the command of Chacho Coudet, who also rewarded him with his debut in LaLiga – against Getafe – that same campaign. However, at that time he did not fully gel in the professional dynamic.

It was not until the arrival of Rafa Benítez when the attacker, with roots in A Baixa Limia, began to gain greater prominence, although not completely nor as the celestial parish required due to its visible conditions. He brought him on the field in seven games, only one as a starter – in the cup. The dismissal of the acclaimed coach and the appearance of Claudio Giráldez, the coach who already directed him at Fortuna and, previously, in the Division of Honor youth team, gave a 180-degree turn to his situation. It was specifically last weekend when it materialized: the first time that he started from the start in a duel in the top category, against Sevilla at the Sánchez-Pizjuán (1-2). As if that were not enough, number 33 was chosen as the best player of the match.

You would have to go back to 2000-2001 to see a man from Ourense as a starter in a first-class match with the light blue jacket. It was Francisco Noguerol Freijedo, known to everyone as Noguerol, born in Cea, in his only season in the gold category: he played four games, only one in the starting eleven. To find the last icon from Ourense in Celta in this sense, the trip is much further back: to the 1989-1990 campaign. By then, Left back Rodolfo Dapena Dapena, from Outomuro, was part of 36 lineups, all of them from the start.

In the general count, the greatest anniversaries in Ourense are carried out by Rivera, second division top scorer in 1967-1968; Vicente, who treasures Celta’s gold and diamond insignia after 16 seasons in light blue; Herminio, with 10 campaigns behind him; and Venancio, Captain Veneno, after 12 years loyal to the club.

The rest of the list of Ourenses who achieved minutes in the first division are: Carlos Pérez, Ramón Dacosta, Cortizo, Juan Francisco, Merkele, Bermejo, Tito and Peixe.

2024-03-23 10:01:00
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