Time quickly arrived at the day the Spanish leagues kicked off. Both La Liga and the Segunda División raised the curtain simultaneously. Naturally, many people's attention was fixed on La Liga. Only the fans of one's own club wouldn't care about the division level and would unconditionally support their team.
Filled with anticipation, Hierro led Real Oviedo into the new season. This was Hierro's first time coaching a professional league team as head coach.
Naturally, as a legendary player for Real Madrid and the Spanish national team, taking the position of head coach for a Segunda División club attracted considerable attention. However, the confident Hierro immediately received a harsh reality check.
In the first match of the Segunda División season, Real Oviedo hosted the newly promoted side Extremadura. Facing an opponent clearly weaker than them on paper, Hierro had set the goal for the team to take all three points.
But during the match, the actual situation left Hierro unsure of what to do.
After taking the lead in the first half, the team conceded an equalizer from a counterattack early in the second half. Extremadura then retreated into full defense, forcing Oviedo to accept a 1-1 draw.
This final result was considered a minor upset in the Segunda División. At the post-match press conference, Hierro admitted that the team lacked sufficient patience in their attack during the match and that some problems had emerged.
Throughout the entire ninety minutes, Real Oviedo truly experienced what it meant to dominate possession but fail to score. In the overall match statistics, Real Oviedo held a clear advantage: 55% to 45% possession, 19 to 3 shots, 8 to 2 shots on target, and 9 to 1 corner kicks. They even committed more fouls than the opposition. It's worth noting that Extremadura's goal came from that single corner kick opportunity.
André sat on the substitute bench for the entire match. This was his first time watching a professional match up close from the dugout. In his past life as Marcus, he'd always heard people talk about playing abroad and how different things were overseas. Since joining Oviedo, he'd indeed felt many differences—it was more systematic and professional, and the level of competition was fiercer.
Although it was only a second-tier match, Hierro paid great attention to him during the game. Even without arranging for him to play, Hierro would come to him whenever possible on the bench to explain things that needed attention during the match—how a certain situation should be handled, or how to approach it for better effect.
Frankly, this kind of real-time tactical guidance was what André lacked most. Before the season started, Hierro had clearly told him that he wouldn't get many opportunities in the first half of the season. Although Hierro trusted André's ability, his age was a factor, and exposing him to matches too early might not be beneficial.
However, Hierro's plan was quickly overturned by circumstances because Real Oviedo's start was not good, and Hierro was facing significant external pressure.
In the second round of the Segunda División, after being held to a draw by a newly promoted team in the first round, Oviedo traveled to the Nuevo Arcángel Stadium to challenge Córdoba. In this match, Hierro unusually deployed a 4-3-3 formation, with very clear intention—he was evidently dissatisfied with the team's offense in the opening match.
He hoped to alleviate his mounting pressure with a victory.
And the players of Real Oviedo truly delivered in this match. After ninety minutes, Real Oviedo won convincingly against Córdoba with a score of 4-2, securing their first victory of the season.
This victory made Hierro very happy. But what Hierro didn't know was that Oviedo would suffer a series of setbacks following this win.
Continuing with an away fixture, Real Oviedo faced long-time Segunda División rival Cádiz, ending in a 1-1 draw. Real Oviedo earned another stalemate.
Then, after two consecutive away games, Real Oviedo returned to their home ground. Having achieved one win and two draws without a loss in the first three rounds, Oviedo welcomed a challenge from Real Zaragoza. Hierro once again implemented the attacking 4-3-3 formation. The Carlos Tartiere Stadium, which could accommodate 30,000 spectators, was nearly full. But when the ninety minutes ended, Hierro stood expressionlessly by the touchline in defeat.
Nearly thirty thousand Oviedo fans witnessed their beloved team's first defeat of the season.
0-4.
The score displayed on the big screen felt glaringly harsh to Hierro and all the Oviedo players.
Real Oviedo had suffered a heavy defeat. This margin was the largest scoreline against Zaragoza for Oviedo in recent years. Oviedo's fans clearly could not accept such a crushing loss. Near the end of the match, jeers echoed throughout the stadium. No one knew if these jeers were directed at Hierro or the Oviedo players. Perhaps both.
If Hierro could still consider the defeat in this match merely an interlude in the long league campaign, then Oviedo's subsequent fixtures truly made him feel immense pressure.
Real Oviedo traveled to the city of Lugo. They expected to secure three points against a weaker opponent, but the final result disappointed Hierro once again: 2-0 to Lugo. Real Oviedo suffered their second consecutive league defeat of the season.
Actually, it wasn't just two consecutive league losses. Before this league match, in the second round of the Copa del Rey, Real Oviedo faced fellow Segunda División side RCD Mallorca and were eliminated with a 0-1 scoreline.
The Segunda División resumed the following week. Oviedo's opponent this round was another newly promoted team—Elche. Oviedo fans, who desperately expected a victory, witnessed yet another draw. Still 1-1.
After this match, with six league rounds completed, Real Oviedo sat in 16th place on the league table with 6 points from 1 win, 3 draws, and 2 losses.
This result was unacceptable to both the club hierarchy and the supporters. Hierro instantly found himself in the eye of the storm, and voices questioning his tactical approach slowly began to emerge. The criticism was simple: Real Oviedo had conceded a goal in every single one of the six matches—whether against a newly promoted side or a strong team—indicating significant problems with the defense. Yet Hierro still insisted on the attacking 4-3-3 formation.
Some media reporters even predicted that Hierro, this legendary Spanish footballer, might see his first coaching stint end prematurely. Some believed Hierro could become the first head coach to be sacked in the Segunda División this season.
The pressure was mounting.
And on the bench, match after match, André watched and waited for his chance.
Throw Some Powerstones For
Next BONUS CHAPTER at 200 powerstones