The David Ramos era at Viña Albali Valdepeñas has officially ended. It was confirmed that the club’s board decided last Sunday to part ways with the Madrid coach following a disappointing league start: five losses and only one win in six matches. The team’s lackluster performance, culminating in a heavy 9-3 defeat against Jaén Paraíso Interior at the Olivo Arena, was the final straw. Valdepeñas will face Barça at the Virgen de la Cabeza, with Víctor Beas, coach of the club’s reserve team, stepping in as interim manager. Negotiations for a new head coach are ongoing, but Beas is also likely to oversee Saturday’s match against Servigroup Peñíscola.
This marks a recurring challenge for the Valdepeñas squad, mirroring last season’s struggles. Back then, Ramos narrowly avoided dismissal after an underwhelming record of two wins, five draws, and six losses. Before a victory over Movistar Inter and an eight-game unbeaten streak salvaged his position. However, this season, the team has again fallen short of expectations despite its considerable budget. Tensions at the Virgen de la Cabeza arena have reached a breaking point.
RAMOS
Ramos, whose contract was set to run until June 30, 2025, ends a six-year tenure that began in 2018. When he replaced Leo Herrera to steer the team clear of relegation in their first season in the top flight. Over his time at Valdepeñas, he achieved four Spanish Cup qualifications, five consecutive playoff appearances, and led the team to runner-up finishes in the 2020 league and Spanish Cup. As well as the 2022 Copa del Rey.
This is the first managerial change of the 2024-25 First Division season, and Viña Albali Valdepeñas now faces a familiar problem. Last year, they struggled to secure a new coach as candidates were contracted abroad. Miguel Andrés came close to joining but ultimately declined to focus on World Cup qualifiers with the Netherlands.
A similar situation now complicates talks with Diego Ríos (currently in Indonesia with Bintang Timur Surabaya) and Josan González (based in Thailand with Imane). Other options, such as José María Pazos, who recently won the Super League in China with Shenzhen, and Marlon Velasco, who is competing in the UEFA Futsal Champions League Elite Round with Kairat Almaty, remain distant possibilities.
