Inigo Calderon appointed Alaves B assistant manager
Brighton and Hove Albion legend Inigo Calderon has taken his first steps into management with his appointment as assistant manager of Alaves B until the end of the season.
It has long been expected that the popular right back would turn to coaching once his playing days were at an end, with many Albion supporters openly hoping that it could one day lead to a return to the Amex and ultimately a long and successful stint as first team manager.
Calderon hasn’t wasted any time in trying to turn those dreams into reality. He only recently left Indian side Chennaiyin after two seasons with the club, helping them to win the Indian Super League title in his first campaign at the Marina Arena, a stadium whose name should inspire more clubs to go with rhyming names for their home grounds.
He now returns to his hometown team where his career began in 2001 as number two to Alaves’ newly appointed reserve team manager Iñaki Alonso. Calderon made 71 appearances for Alaves B between 2001 and 2004 before moving for a similarly successful three year spell with Alicante.
He returned to Alaves in 2007, going onto play 52 times for their first team before Gus Poyet brought him to England on a free transfer. In six years with the Albion, Calderon racked up 232 games, scoring 19 times and establishing himself as one of the most popular players in the club’s history along the way.
Calderon made his mark off the pitch as well as on it. He was a frequent supporter of Albion in the Community events, often going above and beyond the call of duty to support the charity in it’s work around Sussex.
His intelligence was there for all to see and nobody who was at Hillsborough for the first leg of the Championship semi final in 2016 will forget his influence there. Chris Hughton’s side had suffered four injuries and were down to 10 men playing against a buoyant Sheffield Wednesday with a raucous home crowd behind them.
Hughton had already made his three permitted substitutes yet there was Calderon, running down the touchline and using the pretence of warming up to encourage his teammates and offer tactical instructions. It was a glimpse of what he can offer in the dugout, which is something that former Real Murcia and Huracan boss Alonso is hoping to tap into with Alaves.
Alonso and Calderon replace Igor Oca, who was sacked following Alaves’ 3-1 defeat to Lagun Onak. The new management team take over a side sitting in fifth place in Tercera División Group 4, which is essentially the Spanish fourth tier.
With 360 teams divided into 18 regional groups, it is a little complicated but essentially, if Alaves finish fourth or above in the regular season then they will be entered into a play off system for the opportunity to win promotion to Spain’s third tier, the Segunda División B.
We’ll be watching how Alaves and more importantly, Calderon, get on with interest.
