Alejandro Sandroni en ORM | 2ª RFEF | 26/27

Sandroni: "This experience at Minera will make me a better coach" The Argentine coach admits that "I didn't want to go through another 16 months without a job, it's tough," and sees no problem with dropping down to the Second Division: "I'm a coach and I want to coach, I don't belong to just one category or another." Alejandro Sandroni will be at the helm of Deportiva Minera for the 2026-27 season. Although he has managed First Division projects in recent years (Linares, Intercity, and Talavera), the Argentine is making his debut in the fourth tier of Spanish football. "I'm very happy and grateful. When I finished in Alicante, I was out of work for 15-16 months and I couldn't imagine going through that again. I thought I'd have to wait, but then the offer from Minera came in and everything moved very quickly once I spoke with the new owners. You're a coach and you want to coach, and if you don't, you suffer, but so does your family," Sandroni explains. Alejandro isn't bothered by the move down to the Second Division: "We're getting older, and I'm not a coach of one category or another. I'll try to adapt to this division and the new circumstances. I've never coached on such a small, artificial turf pitch as the one at La Minera. But I'm not going to lower my standards. The club is very accommodating; we even have a gym at the Ángel Celdrán stadium. I'm convinced that when the season ends, I'll be a better coach because I'll learn from this new experience. At Talavera, although we didn't ultimately avoid relegation, I had one of the best periods of my professional life." He faces a huge challenge: trying to match Checa's great year, in which he came close to direct promotion. "The legacy is there. La Minera is a club that has been growing every year thanks to José Blaya and Antonio Martínez. Doing a good job isn't always reflected in the standings. We're going to give it our all. Besides, I'm happy with the players who are arriving. Some are young, others are very hungry... We all want to return to the Primera Federación, me first and foremost, but let's approach it with humility." Regarding the other teams in the Region, Sadroni had praise for them: "We have to keep in mind that we're playing in a new group that has been requested for many years. All the teams will be within 200 kilometers. For example, Yeclano will save a lot on travel and can invest that in players. They're already a solid team, and their sporting director, Josema, can attract players. It will be tough. Cieza has a strong financial foundation, and although it's difficult to attract players when you're newly promoted, they have a master of the division like José Miguel Campos. With good players and a city eager for football, it could be the perfect combination." He does have some doubts about La Unión's project, "since I don't really know what it is at this point," and regarding UCAM, he has praise but also a warning: "They're above everyone else. They signed whoever they wanted, however they wanted. They have a forward line (Aquino and Carrillo) that would be starters at Murcia. And the coach has been doing very well, but he might be surprised because this group isn't the one from Andalusia that he knows so well. But along with Baleares, Intercity, and Alcoyano, they could be at the top of the league." Regarding Imperial, he's unsure "if they'll bring in Brazilians or other players that the owners will bring in," and about Lorca Deportiva, "Sebas López is doing a tremendous job because they're also strengthening the city's fanbase. It's going to be a great championship."