CD Jávea bets on youth for next season’s campaign

Thursday 17th March 2022 – Mike Smith
Source: original article – Xàbia AL DÍA

During last summer, CD Jávea prepared for the 2021/2022 season with genuine ambitions to gain promotion to the Third Division for the first time since the early 1990s. However, the wholesale resignation of the previous board of directors in response to the great difficulties in receiving annual council funding and the change of mind of several key players who had previously agreed to sign for the club, as confirmed by then-coach Manuel Esteban, saw the side begin the season with a side made up of a mixture of experienced players and more affordable youth products.

After a stunning start to the campaign, in which CD Jávea topped the table for the first time in almost two decades, a home defeat to fellow promotion hopefuls CF UE Tavernes kicked off a eight-game run without victory and a dramatic slide into the bottom half of the table. Victory over FC Atletico Benidorm at the end of January halted that slide and the club has now chalked up a six-game unbeaten run to climb back into the top half of the table but six points adrift of the top three.

However, with seven games remaining, it seems unlikely that Jávea will claim one of those play-off spots but find themselves in a comfortable enough position to avoid any concerns about relegation. For this reason, several experienced players have left the club, such as striker Tali, who is now at Group III side UD Castellonense, solid defender Cristian, who turned out for UD Carcaixent in their 2-0 home win over CD l’Alcúdia de Crespins last weekend, and now striker Carlos Quintana.

Taking advantage of the break in competitive football due to the Fallas celebrations across the Comunidad Valenciana, Xàbia AL DÍA spoke with Joan Ortolá, member of the CD Jávea management team as well as councillor for Citizen Security, to talk about the current state of affairs at the local football club.

CD Jávea has opted to lose some of its more experienced players, such as Tali, Cristian and Quintana, and is looking on players from the town and across the Marina Alta; is this the idea for next season?

Initially, when this group of parents took over the management of club in September, the team was established and therefore we had to continue with that side. But we were clear when we took over that our intention was that we want to build a team with local players and those the neighbouring towns. For the next season we will be betting on players who come out of the youth academy and with the base of the current team.

The economic problems continue because last year’s agreement has not yet been finalised. What is the current situation?

We believed that the agreement would have been signed in April, but due to unknown circumstances, everything is being delayed and this is going to cause a very important problem for the governing board and especially for the club.

So when it is expected that this season’s agreement with council will be signed?

We have no idea, since it is something that the previous governing board agreed with the council. We are waiting for it to be solved, in order to prepare all the necessary documents to become part of the new board of directors. However, it is clear that if the new agreement is not signed before June, CD Jávea may have a serious problem.

On a sporting level, what is the future of the club? Does it involve putting together a team with home-grown players and those from the Marina Alta region?

s I said before, our commitment is to develop the youth academy, so that it can provide for the first team in a few years. This is a job that the entire management board has to coordinate and that can be a reality for CD Jávea. As you well know, all the teams in the Regional Preferente are working along similar lines. It is not normal to pay those exaggerated amounts that are being paid in football at our level and signing people from the Marina Alta region can make a good team.

Is a local coaching staff is also considered or you are happy with the current team?

To date, the management board has not yet made a statement, so we are going to wait to see how the end of the season unfolds and then we will sit down with the coach to propose our ideas and the football we want.

Xàbia council plans to make improvements to the football ground; what will they be?

We are in contact with the council to try to make improvements to the ground but one of the priorities is the change of lighting to LED, since the current installation has been in use for many years, more than 30, and we have to improve it to make electricity savings for the benefit of all.

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