Álex Petxarroman is one of three players sent on loan by Deportivo this season in the Segunda División, and he is the only one who still has a chance to face his parent club on the pitch this campaign.
Luis Chacón was unable to play due to contractual restrictions unless a penalty fee was paid, while Mohamed Bouldini and the Basque full-back had that option available. However, in the two previous meetings against Granada and Andorra this season, neither player was selected by their coaches, nor were they included in the matchday squads for those games (Deportivo-Granada and Andorra-Deportivo).
Now, a window has opened for the Real Sociedad youth product, who started last week’s 5–1 thrashing of Las Palmas. Petxarroman made his first start in two months and even contributed to Akman’s third goal, with LaLiga crediting him an assist for initiating the move. His start was not due to injury or suspension, as Carrique—former Celta player and the usual choice in that position—was on the bench against the Canary Islands side.
His Impressions
Petxarroman arrived at Deportivo in the summer of 2024, just as the club returned to the second division, initially as an alternative or even a long-term challenger to Ximo Navarro, who had been crucial in their promotion but has always been prone to physical setbacks. He played little, mostly toward the end of the season, and was held back by a major error in the first half of the campaign at Riazor against Burgos. Months ago, in an interview with LA OPINIÓN, he admitted that his first season in A Coruña was not easy: “It was a year of ups and downs,” he said. “I started well, the first match I was good, and then Imanol (Idiakez) decided to take me off. Later, I made that mistake and had to manage everything… Dépor is a place with a lot of pressure, and everyone wants to arrive and hit the ground running, and I didn’t do that in the best way. The end of the season was good, except for the last month when we were already safe and it was pretty bad for everyone because we didn’t compete as we should have. My personal end to the season was quite good, but it was somewhat tarnished by that last month when nobody lived up to the club’s standards.”
Number 2 for Andorra, who had already been at the club before arriving at Riazor, has not had the season he hoped for in his return to Andorra either, as he has not enjoyed the full confidence of the coaches who have been in charge. Now, he is beginning to show his quality again, although his overall tally stands at just over 600 minutes, 15 appearances, and 7 starts. It has not been easy for him: “I came with slightly different expectations, and maybe they are not being met. It has been a bit of a complicated year mentally and sportively. Knowing the place gives you some calm, but if things aren’t going your way (playing regularly), it’s hard,” he admitted in February.
