While Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético shake up the transfer market with high-profile transfers, modest Real Sociedad reached the Champions League last season (for the first time in nine years) without much capital investment. The Basques finished fourth despite the €70m sale of top scorer Alexander Isak to Newcastle last summer. The San Sebastián-based club’s success is the result of years of careful planning and youthful work. He allowed the blue and whites to reach the salary cap of 134 million euros for the first time in history (sixth in the League).
Last season, the Basques traded away wins with champions Barcelona, defeated Real Madrid at home and drew at the Santiago Bernabéu. 14 people from the Sociedad’s candidacy for the match with Madrid in January are pupils of the club. The management does not intend to stop: the director of the youth academy, Luca Iriarte, said that his goal is for 80% of the players to come from the province of Gipuzkoa, where the club is based, and another 20% from other regions of the north of the country or neighboring France. The leaders believe that this will allow the team to remain a company of friends striving to achieve something important together, and not just a group of legionnaires bound by contracts.
Arsen Zakharyan signed a contract with the San Sebastian club yesterday. In this sense, we recall the main adventure of the Society in recent history.
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Real Sociedad have an amazing ability to fly high at the start of every decade. In addition to the current progress, the Basques made some noise in the early 1980s, twice becoming the strongest team in the country (1981, 1982). In 2003, the blue and whites with the Russians Valery Karpin and Dmitry Khokhlov only lost their gold options in the race with Real Madrid on the last day. “We achieve results without expensive transfers and spectacular advertising campaigns thanks to respect for history and mutual treatment as members of a great family. It is somewhat reminiscent of the Spanish concept of gastronomic societies, a place where people cook together, ”the club’s sports director, Roberto Olabe, revealed the secret of success.
The authoritarian John Toshack failed in San Sebastián
Photo: Firo Photo/ALLSPORT
Patriotism for this official is far from an empty phrase. Olabe played for the club from 1995 to 1999, after which he worked with the youth team for several years, and in 2002 he saved the first team from relegation to the Second division after the sacking of Welsh manager John Toshack. Around that time, the club deviated from the vector of youth development and succumbed to the massive trend of being strengthened by foreign players. A year before he was sacked, Toshack insisted on signing strikers Darko Kovacevic and Nihat Kahveci and goalkeeper Sander Westerfeld for an impressive €16.6 million for a modest club at the time.
In any cell of society, happiness does not depend on the degree of kinship, but on the ability of people to find common values and move in the same direction. The tough and overbearing Toshack failed to rally the team; Despite the combat-ready composition, the Basques suffered defeat after defeat and struggled to survive. Olaba managed to keep the team in La Liga, but the management still got hung up on cooperation with a foreign specialist. Nantes invited the Frenchman Reynald Denuex, who in 2001 led the Canary Islands to the championship.
Raynald Denuex
Photo: Firo Photo/Getty Images
To everyone’s surprise, this approach worked. Reynald managed to motivate older legionaries and bring talented youngsters to a new level with his help. Toshack’s monotonous and predominantly fitness-oriented exercises were replaced by the new trainer’s highly intellectual classes. “Denueks is the first coach in San Sebastián who fixed the tactical analysis,” admired Khokhlov. -At his insistence, cameras were installed at the base to film from different points. He showed us clippings, printouts. Football turned out to be a real science, the depth of which was very interesting and exciting to penetrate.
Royal Society Denuex = Leicester Ranieri. The title was not enough.
Restrained and delicate, Denuex managed to create a family atmosphere in the team, somewhat similar to the 2015 “Leicester” Claudio Ranieri championship. Not the most stellar performers suddenly felt that their strength was in unity and began to tear their rivals apart. In the 1st round it was achieved by the people of Bilbao (4-2) – the team acted so inspired and relaxed that they gave an initial start of six wins and three draws. Tactically, the Basques did not offer anything new or original, but their chemistry was unique.
Nihat Kahveci and Darko Kovacevic
Photo: Getty Images
The main threat fell on the strikers who complemented each other well: Kovacevic, a fresh and textured pitcher, as well as an agile, technical and creative Kahveci. They were supported in midfield by a veteran who spent his entire career in San Sebastián, defensive midfielder Mikel Aranburu, as well as 19-year-old Xabi Alonso. Yes, yes, the same talent with a spectacular pass and shot, future two-time Champion of the Champions League, European and world champion. Alonso played in the position of Dmitry Khokhlov, so the Russian came on mostly as a substitute and at the end of the season he signed for Lokomotiv.
Valery Karpin and Dmitry Khokhlov
Photo: Getty Images
On the wings of the attack were the master of set pieces and team captain Javi de Pedro (left) and the restless Valery Karpin. For the future head coach of the Russian national team, this was the second career in San Sebastian: before returning to his homeland, Valery spent several more seasons in the city he loved so much. Despite the fact that Karpin is already 34 years old, he has not lost his characteristics of speed, technique and leadership.
In the center of defense, the experienced Norwegian Bjorn Tore Kvarme, from Liverpool, as well as the Spanish champion in 2000 as part of Deportivo, the Argentine Gabriel Schurrer, performed with ease. On the flanks he was supported by Aitor López Recarte and the Spanish international Agustín Aranzabal. Confidence and a positive attitude carried over to goalkeeper Westerfeld.
How Real Sociedad is playing now and who Zakharyan will compete with:
Understanding what awaits Zakharyan at Real Sociedad
At the end of autumn, Sociedad was still undefeated, and the answer to the question of whether the team was really ready to fight for the championship could only be given by matches with Real and Barcelona. The people of Madrid were the first to put the Basques to the test and were never able to open up the rival defense at the Santiago Bernabéu (0-0). “I’m impressed. They really have a team with almost no weaknesses,” Real Madrid coach Vicente del Bosque praised the blue and whites.
Valery Karpin vs. Ronaldo
Photo: Denis Doyle/Getty Images
Two weeks later, the Basques overwhelmed Barcelona (2-1) in their field thanks to Kovacevic’s brace. If it weren’t for the Catalan goalkeeper Roberto Bonano, who played one of the best games of his career, the score could have been devastating. The Denuex boys went through the first round unbeaten, making a major title bid, but, as is often the case with almost any team, they failed to go the distance without a downturn.
The losing streak began in February 2003, when the Basques lost in a derby against Athletic, and then against Real Betis and Valladolid. “There was a lot of pressure on us. At the beginning of the season, the team acted liberated, but the leadership imposed additional responsibility and the guys burned out emotionally, ”Denueks justified.
A little more about the modern Royal Society:
Zakharyan’s signing is special for Sociedad. There are only five foreign players in the club
Real Madrid snatched the championship from Sociedad at the finish line
The coach managed to pull San Sebastian out of the top only in April – the home victory over Real Madrid (4: 2) inspired and gave a new impetus. The furious Basques in the first half put four balls into the gates of the favourites, and Xabi Alonso’s chic goal from 27 meters became the decoration. After such a performance, the team won five of the next six meetings and continued to lead three rounds before the end of the championship. You had to defeat Valencia and Celta, who were fighting for a place in the top four, as well as the crisis at Atlético.
In the match against Valencia, the Basques were not lucky enough. They dominated the entire match, hitting the frame three times, but were content with just a draw. There were still chances for the championship, because in a parallel match, Real Madrid also shared points with Celta. However, already in the next round, the hopes of the Society were trampled on by Alexander Mostovoy. The Russian tsar gifted the blue and whites with a goal and became one of those who gave Vigo the victory – 3:2. In the last round, Karpin’s team crushed Atlético (3:0), but it was already too late: Real Madrid defeated Athletic (3:1) and maintained a two-point lead over the underdogs who had been scorching all the season.
Sociedad Drummer since 2003 – Kahveci and Kovacevic
Photo: EMPICS via Getty Images
Real Sociedad had an outstanding season: Kahvedzhi and Kovacevich scored 43 goals from two, Denuex was recognized as the coach of the year, and Xabi Alonso was the best Spanish player in LaLiga. And yet the ultimate goal, formed already in the course of the season, has not been subdued. The secret of that brilliant team lay in unity, thanks to which everyone showed the maximum – it is impossible to play with such drive every season. It is not surprising that after only four seasons, the team without a leader flew to the Second Division, and the management finally decided on the club’s philosophy – to educate their own talents.
In today’s football, corrupted by large sums of money, it is extremely rare that precedents occur when teams like Deportivo, Leicester, Lille or Valencia are proclaimed champions. However, the history of Real Sociedad 20 years ago confirms that the true miracle is not only the trophy won. Sometimes, to feel happy, it is enough to do an outstanding job with loved ones.
How Karpin and Khokhlov shone in Spain:
Karpin and Khokhlov were torn apart in Spain. today they fight each other
