Deportivo’s Historical Encounter in Albacete

Deportivo will visit Albacete this weekend, returning to the Carlos Belmonte stadium where they recorded one of the most significant victories in Primera División history. In Javi Guillén’s book, ‘Mucho que decir y poco que contar’, he vividly recalls one of the standout matches from the 1994-95 season. Deportivo arrived at that game in second place, with no stakes in the standings.

In the aforementioned book, Paco Liaño, the goalkeeper for the Galician side, revealed that the team had an incentive for winning the match. “We received a financial bonus for winning a game; we shared a prize for doing our jobs. We went to Albacete to play a friendly, without taking risks, as we had a final the following week,” he stated.

The match saw Deportivo dominate the local team, creating numerous scoring opportunities. Albacete was under pressure and played cautiously, while Deportivo fielded a mix of first-team regulars and substitutes. Julio Salinas achieved a hat trick, Mandarín scored from midfield, and Donato added another goal from outside the area – a variety of goals against a goalkeeper who would later don the Deportivo jersey: José Molina.

Liaño further noted that days later, the Deportivo players divided the money, which had been delivered in a backpack, while they were in camp preparing for the Copa del Rey final. “They went from room to room with a backpack, distributing the money to each player,” recounted the former Zamora of the Liga.

This weekend’s encounter will be different, as both teams come into the match with aspirations for promotion to the top tier, eager to once again experience life in Primera División.