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MIGUEL ÁNGEL LOTINA ORUECHEBARRIA
Date of Birth: June 18, 1957
Place of Birth: Meñaca, Vizcaya (Spain)
Contract with Depor: 2007 - 2009
Titles conquered: Copa del Rey (2006- RCD Espanyol)
Clubs Trained: Deportivo (2007-?), Real Sociedad (Jan 2007-June 2007), RCD Espanyol (2004-2006), Celta (2002-2004), Osasuna (1999-2002), Numancia (1998-1999), Badajoz (1997-1998), Logroñes (1996-1997), Numancia (1993-1996), Logroñes (1993), Logroñes B (1990-1993)
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 With Joaquín Caparrós leaving the ship, president Lendoiro was needing for a replacement in order to continue with the second phase of his 'Babydepor' project. And the selected choice was Miguel Ángel Lotina, this ex-Celta trainer was very successful with Numancia and Osasuna. Later he had mixed results, he was able to put Celta in Champions League, and to win a copa del rey with Espanyol, but he failed to save Real Sociedad from the relegation. Will he bring new life to Deportivo?
MIGUEL ÁNGEL LOTINA has been linked with the world of football since thirty years ago. He was born in Meñaka, a little town in Vizcaya (500 inhabitants). Lotina was the minor of eight brothers, used to talk the Basque language, he learned Spanish until he was a teenager. At the age of 20, he started his career as a striker at Guernica (Tercera) and later he joined Logroñes, a club that was playing in Segunda B and that reached the first division on the season 1987/1988.
After his career as a player ended, he decided to continue his professional life as a football coach, his first experience was in the same Logroñes. He coached the B-team during three seasons (1990-1993). Suddenly, Lotina debuted in Primera when he took control of Logroñes's first squad at the middle of the 1992/1993 campaign. He was the emergency replacement of David Vidal during two weeks, later Carlos Aimar took his place. Curiously, his debut was against Deportivo, a match that he lost with a 0-3 score.
A few months later, Lotina was coaching Numancia (season 1993/1994), a Segunda B club in which he made history. During the 1995/1996 campaign, Numancia eliminated three Primera clubs in copa del rey -Real Sociedad, Racing Santander and Sporting Gijón- later in the competition, his team was near to eliminate Barcelona, but they lost 3-1 at the Camp Nou (quarterfinals). It was the first time that he was noticed as a coach. His team also reached the promotion stages in two opportunities, although it didn't achieve a place in Segunda.
The secret for Lotina's success is that he has always been a humble coach working with humble squads. He always had both feet on the ground. Besides, his emotional connection with the players have helped him to transmit his ideas and desires without problems. The Meñaka-born trainer returned to Logroñes for the season 1996/1997, at that time the team was playing in Primera. But he wasn't able to repeat his previous success. He was fired after just ten matches and after his squad accumulated four straight defeats. It was his first disappointment as a coach and it won't be the last one. One year later, Lotina coached Badajoz in Segunda, once again he was sacked for the job, this time after just fifteen matches.
But the Basque coach returned with brightness during the season 1998/1999. He trained Numancia for the second opportunity in his career, and his team gained the promotion to Primera with a notorious third place in Segunda. Then, Lotina was hired by another Segunda club: Osasuna. For the second consecutive time, the Meñaka-born trainer earned the promotion to Primera and later he spent two more seasons with Pamplona's team. Osasuna always fought for the salvation, a mission that he accomplished in two opportunities. During his last season in the club (2001/2002), the squad achieved the objective during the last game of the season, a thing that would be repeated in the future.
Decided to achieve bigger things, he signed for Depor's nemesis: Celta de Vigo. His first season (2002/2003) was successful and his team achieved an historic qualification to the Champions League. But in the following campaign, Lotina's team felt down although they reached the second round in the biggest European tournament. He was fired after his team won only 4 of 21 matches. Celta was 17th at the time of his exit, the club's authorities were expecting that this would be the solution in order to change the course of the situation, but it wasn't so simple. Celta ended in Segunda and many fingers were appointing to Lotina as the responsible.
 A lot has been commented about the quick fall of Celta, but the true is that the same players admitted that they were demotivated during the whole season, a situation caused by the lack of payments and not by the work of the Basque coach. Despite this reason, Lotina was the first to be blamed for the miseries of Celta, a 'urban legend' was born, 'the two-year cycle of Lotina': one year the team goes to the top, the following one to the bottom.
For the season 2004/2005 he signed for RCD Espanyol, and once again his 'two-year cycle' was repeated. His first season in the Catalan club was very impressive. Although his team was very humble, Espanyol ended 5th and was even close to qualify to the Champions League, but everything changed during the following season, the Catalans suffered until the last second in order to achieve the permanence, and the phrase 'last second' isn't exaggerated, a goal from Corominas during the extra-times of the last liga game saved the Catalans.
At least Lotina was able to celebrate the conquer of the copa del rey, his first title as a coach. Between the victims of Espanyol was Caparros's Deportivo, a squad that Lotina defeated in the semi-finals of the tournament. But the Basque coach was emotionally devastated for the all the suffering in la liga, he decided to quit and he took a year of vacations.
But his vacations were really short, on the season 2006/2007 Real Sociedad called him after the Basque team was at the bottom of la liga after just seven matches. He took the control of the squad and he planned the salvation with the winter incorporations of Jesuli, Savio, Víctor López and Herrera. But Lotina failed, he just added 33 points in 31 matches and Real Sociedad ended in Segunda after 40 years in Spain's first division. Lotina cried after the relegation was consumed and decided to quit to his job.
Caparrós was also quitting to Deportivo, Lendoiro analysed the choices and Lotina was the selected one. He signed a one-year contract on Monday June 25, 2007. A big part of the fans were worried with the arrival of the Basque trainer, he has been described as a 'depressed person' for his passive attitudes during the games. However, Lotina denied this when his arrival to Depor was announced: "I am not a sad person, you will know me. People who already know me can tell you that I am not like that." Were his words.
Other people is convinced that Lendoiro chose the right coach. After the arrival of Lotina was announced, Fernando Blanco, an ex-president of the Galician committee of coaches explained why he is perfect for Deportivo: "He suits perfectly in the line of the club: he doesn't give problems and he never make explosive declarations. He is a man of football, his main characteristic is his perfect relationship with the players, that's important when you work with youngsters. His character suits perfectly in the club."
About his style of play, he used the 4-4-2 system during his stage in Real Sociedad, however Lotina has always preferred a 4-2-3-1 formation, a fact that was explained by other well -know coach, David Vidal: "I worked three years with him at Logroñes, and I think that he's a magnificent coach. Tactically, he uses the 4-2-3-1, although some times he prefers to play with two forwards. He also likes to practice a football based in combinations, I believe that he is able to do a good job."
Curiously, Lotina and Irureta have been compared since they have several things in common. Both are Basques and ex-professional players, they always maintained a low profile as coaches and both have trained Real Sociedad and Celta before joining Deportivo. But the question remains in the air: Will Lotina be able to repeat Jabo's achievements?
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