Alaves flirted with relegation, but ultimately saved up so they’ve achieved their objective.
2019/20 was always going to be more of a struggle for Alaves after losing Abelardo as coach and his replacement Asier Garitano arrived after failing at Real Sociedad. After starting with a win, Alaves didn’t win any of their next five and never again moved any higher than 12th.
They even suffered the humiliation of being the first top-flight team knocked out of the Copa del Rey when they lost to fourth-tier Real Jaen in their first Copa del Rey match of the season. That saw Garitano’s standing take a bit of a knock, but Alaves remained just outside the relegation zone in the league thanks to their strike duo of Lucas Perez and Joselu.
When the coronavirus pause hit, Alaves were in 14th and seemed like they’d be fine. Yet, a run of five defeats in a row saw Garitano sacked with four rounds to go and Juan Ramon Lopez Muniz was jettisoned in.
In addition to losses to Real Madrid and Barcelona, Lopez Muniz oversaw a draw with Getafe and a win over Real Betis and that proved to be enough for survival.
As Alaves plan for next year, they’ll be looking to make improvements to the squad while there will also be question marks over Lopez Muniz. Even if he does stay on and starts next season his future won’t be safe as Alaves’ ownership are known for their ruthlessness when it comes to coaches.
