Football Season Guide

Celta Vigo underachieved last season. There was a point when it really looked like they’d be relegated, but coach Fran Escriba came in for the final 12 matches and, along with brilliance of the back-from-injury Iago Aspas, helped the team finish 17th. Escriba has been kept on as coach. Although the jury is still out on just how good a coach he is, he should be a net positive for Celta Vigo. In the transfer market, they’ve added Denis Suarez from Barcelona and there is major excitement about him due to the fact he is from Vigo. Santi Mina has also returned to the club, but the fact they’ve lost starting centre-forward Maxi Gomez, who had 31 goals in 75 appearances for the club, is a significant blow. It’s difficult to tell if this squad is better than it was last season. They’ve added some quality, but lost some of it too. When it comes to Celta’s strength, their main strength is clearly Aspas. He is the leader in attack and so often carries the team on his shoulders. They really missed him when he missed a couple of months with injury last season, but when he came back he scored 10 goals and provided four assists across the final nine games. Their weakness is related to their strength, as their weakness is their overreliance on Aspas. When he’s not there, they are not nearly the same, and it’ll be a worry if the 32-year-old misses time with injury again.