Former Eibar and Real Valladolid head coach Gaizka Garitano is the new manager of Deportivo La Coruna. (Photo : Getty Images)
Last term's lowly finishers Deportivo La Coruna and SD Eibar are scheduled to open their respective 2016-2017 La Liga season campaigns against one another at the Estadio Municipal de Riazor on August 19, Friday.
Deportivo La Coruna, who placed 15th in the 20-team Spanish top flight table last season, would want to kick off this term's movement with a bang as they feature 41-year-old Spanish manager Gaizka Garitano as their new head coach.
Garitano was the former boss of Eibar and Segunda Division team Real Valladolid before he accepted the head coaching job with the Galicia giants in June, replacing sacked manager Víctor Sánchez, who is now coaching Olympiacos FC in the Greek Superleague.
Some of the new names in Garitano's roster this term are center back Raul Albentosa from Derby County, midfielder Guilherme dos Santos from Udinese, attacking midfielder Carles Gil from Aston Villa, and winger Marlos Moreno on loan from Manchester City.
Out of the squad this time are midfielder Federico Cartabia to Valencia, goalkeeper Fabricio Agosto to Besiktas, midfielder Luis Alberto on a loan return to Liverpool, and defender Manuel Pablo who had just retired from the sport.
Deportivo was defeated by Sporting Gijon 1-1 (4-2 on penalties) during their final preseason friendly at the Estadio Municipal El Molinón on Saturday to conclude their preparations for this term, via ESPN.
Meanwhile, Eibar finished at 14th place in last season's table, just a point above Deportivo. Manger José Luis Mendilibar will be returning for his second season with the club and is hopeful that they can improve this time after narrowly missing relegation last term.
Some of Los Armeros' newly-acquired players this summer are striker Bebe from SL Benfica, defenders Álex Gálvez and Florian Lejeune from Werder Bremen and Girona, and midfielder Cristian Rivera from Oviedo.
Gone will be familiar names Borja Baston, who went back to Atletico Madrid on a loan return and was later signed by Swansea City, and Keko who transferred to Malaga.
Eibar concluded their preseason friendlies with a 2-2 (6-5 on penalties) loss to Real Zaragoza also last Saturday at the Estadio de la Romareda, as per Soccerway.
The predicted result is tough 1-0 victory either Deportivo La Coruna or Eibar.
Deportivo La Coruna starting lineup (4-5-1 formation): Lux; Juanfran, Arribas, Sidnei, Navarro; Gil, Bergantinos, Mosquera, Fajr, Valle; Lucas
Eibar starting lineup (4-4-2 formation): Riesgo; Galvez, Ramis, Capa, dos Santos; Iuni, Jota, Garcia, Rivera; Enrich, Kike
