Over four incredible seasons at Rayo, Paco Jémez took a Rayo side that was seconds away from relegation to an eight place finish, two mid-table finishes and an unfortunate relegation that even now seems unreal.
During that time, many players came to Rayo whose careers were in disarray - here's a list of those players who have now gone on to bigger and better things.
Bebé
After a botched transfer to Manchester United, three loan spells with various degrees of success, a sale to Benfica, and a wretched six months and a relegation with Córdoba, Rayo took him in 2015 where he became a deadly left winger, with three goals and nine assists. After Rayo were relegated, he was sold to Eibar, where he has been a regular.
Iago Falqué
He played for Real Madrid's and Barcelona's youth teams. He was 18 when sold to Juventus and 22 when sold to Spurs, before which he had had loan spells with Bari and Villarreal B. After further loans to Southampton and Almería, Iago joined Rayo in 2013. His pace and trickery on the left wing earned him three goals, three assists, and moves to Genoa, Roma and now Torino, where he has already scored 10 times this season.
Rubén Rochina
If Iago took the left-wing by storm, Rochina took the right. His six months at Rayo, on loan from Blackburn, earned him three goals and an assist in 17 games, which would lead to a move to Granada - where eight goals and eight assists in two seasons led to Rubin Kazan triggering his 10 million euro release clause.
Alejandro Domínguez
Allan Jiang once wrote: "If you reflect back to Rayo Vallecano's 2012/13 season, you note Piti scoring, Léo Baptistão boosting his transfer stock, Alejandro Domínguez making Hollywood passes and Lass Bangoura going from goat to hero and vice versa."
After a failed spell at Valencia, 31-year-old Alejandro came to Rayo, where five goals and seven assists led to an eight place finish and a move to Olympiacos.
Jordi Amat
Michu wasn't the only Rayo player Swansea signed - the following summer, they signed center-back Jordi Amat after an impressive stint at Rayo, where he once scored this goal.
Gaël Kakuta
Chelsea signed the promising winger from Lens, but after loan spells at Fulham, Bolton, Dijon, Vitesse and Lazio, he came to Rayo in 2014. After just one season, his five goals and seven assists was enough to earn him a move to Sevilla, but a string of questionable decisions, including moving to China (Hebei China Fortune), means he is now nursing his career at Deportivo.
Alejandro Gálvez
Signed in 2012, two impressive seasons at Rayo earned him a move to Werder Bremen - now he's at Eibar.
Anaitz Arbilla
Perhaps the greatest success story - Paco took right-back Arbilla from Segunda outfit Hércules in January 2013, and in 18 months made him a solid La Liga defender, which earned him a move to Espanyol. He now plays at Eibar.
During that time, many players came to Rayo whose careers were in disarray - here's a list of those players who have now gone on to bigger and better things.
Bebé
After a botched transfer to Manchester United, three loan spells with various degrees of success, a sale to Benfica, and a wretched six months and a relegation with Córdoba, Rayo took him in 2015 where he became a deadly left winger, with three goals and nine assists. After Rayo were relegated, he was sold to Eibar, where he has been a regular.
Iago Falqué
He played for Real Madrid's and Barcelona's youth teams. He was 18 when sold to Juventus and 22 when sold to Spurs, before which he had had loan spells with Bari and Villarreal B. After further loans to Southampton and Almería, Iago joined Rayo in 2013. His pace and trickery on the left wing earned him three goals, three assists, and moves to Genoa, Roma and now Torino, where he has already scored 10 times this season.
Rubén Rochina
If Iago took the left-wing by storm, Rochina took the right. His six months at Rayo, on loan from Blackburn, earned him three goals and an assist in 17 games, which would lead to a move to Granada - where eight goals and eight assists in two seasons led to Rubin Kazan triggering his 10 million euro release clause.
Alejandro Domínguez
Allan Jiang once wrote: "If you reflect back to Rayo Vallecano's 2012/13 season, you note Piti scoring, Léo Baptistão boosting his transfer stock, Alejandro Domínguez making Hollywood passes and Lass Bangoura going from goat to hero and vice versa."
After a failed spell at Valencia, 31-year-old Alejandro came to Rayo, where five goals and seven assists led to an eight place finish and a move to Olympiacos.
Jordi Amat
Michu wasn't the only Rayo player Swansea signed - the following summer, they signed center-back Jordi Amat after an impressive stint at Rayo, where he once scored this goal.
Gaël Kakuta
Chelsea signed the promising winger from Lens, but after loan spells at Fulham, Bolton, Dijon, Vitesse and Lazio, he came to Rayo in 2014. After just one season, his five goals and seven assists was enough to earn him a move to Sevilla, but a string of questionable decisions, including moving to China (Hebei China Fortune), means he is now nursing his career at Deportivo.
Alejandro Gálvez
Signed in 2012, two impressive seasons at Rayo earned him a move to Werder Bremen - now he's at Eibar.
Anaitz Arbilla
Perhaps the greatest success story - Paco took right-back Arbilla from Segunda outfit Hércules in January 2013, and in 18 months made him a solid La Liga defender, which earned him a move to Espanyol. He now plays at Eibar.
Comments
Post a Comment