Mariano Díaz’s Struggles at Alavés: A Deteriorating Situation

Mariano Díaz’s signing by Alavés in August generated considerable expectations after he successfully surpassed the trial period during pre-season.

The forward arrived in Vitoria after a year without competitive play, yet the club decided to invest in his signing, fully aware of the associated risks. Five months later, however, Mariano has struggled to find his form, and his recent performances have placed him in a precarious position.

Initially, he had a fair amount of participation at the start of the season, but he failed to establish himself ahead of strikers Lucas Boyé and Toni Martínez. As a result, his prominence diminished over the weeks. The only moments of joy for the former Real Madrid player came in the Copa del Rey against CD Getxo and Portugalete. An upcoming match in the round of 16 against Sevilla presented another chance for him, but that opportunity was thwarted during a training session beforehand.

According to reports from ‘Cadena SER’, both Mariano and Diarrá left the training session prior to the Sevilla match when they were handed the bibs for substitutes by Coach Coudet. The Argentine manager did not hesitate to exclude them from the squad for the cup match. What initially seemed like a temporary punishment has extended, as both players were also left out of the lineup for matches against Osasuna and Real Oviedo.

Despite working normally in daily training at Ibaia, the future direction of Alavés remains uncertain now that the winter transfer window is open. Mariano’s situation is far from what he had envisioned when he joined the club last summer, and it is possible that developments regarding his future may emerge in the coming weeks. Although he signed a two-season contract, fulfilling that agreement now appears unlikely.

His last league start dates back to November 8, at Montilivi, where Alavés exhibited a lackluster first half, leading Coudet to substitute him at halftime. Since then, the Hispano-Dominican has only had 10 minutes of league action during a defeat against Celta and has not seen further participation. It seems challenging for the Argentine coach to lift the punishment imposed following his decision to leave training early.