The sky's the limit for Rubén Albés

Rubén Albés is the youngest coach in the Segunda División. He just led newly-promoted Albacete into the playoffs during his first season in charge, and the 38-year-old's star is very much on the rise.

Rubén Albés is just 38, the youngest manager in the second tier of Spanish football, and he’s one of the best. His Albacete side finished sixth last season despite having one of the smallest budgets in the league. Albés’ teams play a “brave, bold” style of football. “My teams have self-confidence,” he told Relevo. The Galician oozes charisma on the touchline so it would make sense that his teams reflect that.

He is the Julian Nagelsmann of Spanish football. You’ll hear his name and the phrase ‘…is the youngest coach to…’ plenty when discussing the lower tiers of Spanish football. He is innovative and his star is on the rise.

Albacete’s fantastic season came to an end on Wednesday night, losing 6-1 on aggregate to Levante. Paco Lopez’ big guns came to play in the tie, but you can’t help feel that Albacete were excessively punished, and on the end of some wild play-off variance that doesn’t truly represent either side.

Six goals from 1.85 xG for Levante, who only had 14 shots across the two legs (43% conv. rate). Acquiring that lead without ever really having to open up their attack, the context suited Levante throughout. 4-4-2 block and transitions through De Frutos being the desired formula.

In the first leg, Alba took the lead early through Mohamed Djetei and belief was starting to fill the Estadio Carlos Belmonte. But ultimately, they were outdone by a five-minute spell in the first half when Jorge de Frutos sent a hopeful low cross into the box after a slip by and Albacete, who failed to deal with it. Prior to that goal, Levante had created nothing. The 3-1 scoreline was not reflective of the game and it left Albés with an impossible task, travelling to Levante to overturn a two-goal deficit. Levante haven’t been exactly thrilling to watch under Javi Calleja, but they’re no slouches either and put paid to Alba’s play-off dreams with a 3-0 victory on Wednesday.

In that first game, the gameplan Albés laid out caused problems for Levante, who had practically no solutions in settled possession in the opening half hour. He did an excellent job of shutting down Jorge de Frutos and Joni Montiel with a five-man backline when out of possession, which featured Lander Olaetxea dropping between the centre back pair. Until they conceded out of an isolated action from a cross — and a very preventable one at that — Albacete’s setup looked well on the way to dulling Levante’s attack.

That goalkeeper Diego Altube was dropped for the return fixture said much about the events of the first leg. The concession of a few extremely soft goals totally changed the perspective of the tie, after Albacete had dominated the opening half hour. And at Segunda level, where the margins are so impossibly fine, Albes’ side were rather harshly staring down the barrel at that point.

According to Transfermarkt, Levante’s market value is more than double that of Albacete. Albés’ side have been overachieving all season. To really understand how well he has done with this team, you have to understand the context of how well they performed this season.

Albacete were promoted to the second tier of Spanish football last summer and staying there this season would have been a rousing success. Instead, Albés turned them into promotion candidates and did it playing a very dynamic style that bore fruit.

Last season in the Segunda, no team scored more goals (59) or had a higher xG (60.3). This wasn’t a team out-performing their underlying statistics. Albacete had the third-highest attacking efficiency in the Segunda last season, meaning they didn’t control the ball without being incisive. When they did have possession, they knew how to create chances.

Improving players on a limited budget

As stated, Albacete are a newly-promoted side and they clearly didn’t want to invest heavily last summer in a squad that might have sunk like a submarine back into the notoriously tough third tier of Spanish football. They made a number of signings through free agency and loan deals that meant the club wouldn’t be hamstrung if they did get relegated.

It is a testament to Albés’ coaching that many of the players in the squad are now being targeted in the transfer market by bigger clubs. Far from being relegated, Albés showcased what these players can do and how a good coach can help players get better and fulfil their potential.

The Galician manager plays a 4-2-3-1 and relies heavily on his wide men to help solve problems in attack. Albés has turned Manu Fuster and Jonathan Dubasin into two of the better wide men in the league.

Manu Fuster, 25, had an incredible season and finished with almost twice as many chances created (65) than the next player for Albacete, Dubasin (37). In fact, it was Marc Pubill’s closing down of Fuster that led to Albacete’s frustration’s against Levante in the first leg. Fuster, signed in 2019 from CD Guijuelo in 2019, has become a key player under Albés. He finished the season behind only Jonathan Viera in attacking sequence involvements.

Dubasin, signed from Girona last summer, finished the season with 10 goals in the Segunda, and behind only Higinio Marín (11) for Albacete.

Flavien Boyomo (CB) was signed from Blackburn Rovers U-21s for free in August 2020 and is now 21 years old. He attempted 1,872 passes last season, which ranks 13th in the league among all defenders — in a league with Las Palmas and Andorra’s build-up heavy approach. Djetei (CB) is another player Albacete will struggle to hold on to this summer after a stand-out campaign.

The squad is littered with players who have become more than anyone expected them to. But will Albés be around next season to help them grow even further?

What does the future hold for Albés and Albacete?

Immediately after the loss to Levante, Albés was asked in the press conference about his future: “Now is not the time to analyse this season, we have lived through a lot, with a lot of emotion,” he said. “And with respect to my future, I have a contract with Albacete.”

The managerial carousel has not kicked off yet this summer but it will and several teams in the first and second tier of Spanish football (and possibly beyond) will be making lists of potential candidates. Albés will no doubt be on several of those lists.

Rayo Vallecano recently took a chance on a 30-something from the Segunda and he almost took them into Europe. We will see now which teams are smart and brave enough to take a similar risk on Albés.

Albés is hungry and young but despite his youth, he has over a decade of experience as a coach. He won’t be ‘the youngest coach to…’ forever but as the years go by, he keeps getting better and he is currently one of the most exciting coaches in Spanish football that nobody is talking about.