CA Osasuna Preview

Coach: Jose Antonio Camacho, ex-Real Madrid and Spain MNT coach
Stadium:Estadio Reyno de Navarra, (19,800).
Region: Navarre
Nickname: Los Rojillos (The Little Red-Ones), Gorritxo
Derby: Athletic Bilbao
Sponsor: Yingli Solar, a Chinese solar power company
Kit Description: Home: A very nice red Diadora with dark blue shorts and white striping. Blue sockes with red trim as well. Away: An all white kit with red trim and striping throughout. Third: An all dark-blue kit with red trim on the socks. Note: The Osasuna kit's sponsor Yingli Solar is one of the nicest logos I have seen on a football kits ever. A really nice design and it adds so much to the kit, it's amost like another badge. Diadora did a great job on Osasuna's kit.
History: The club was founded on some unrecorded date in 1920. The Sociedad Sportiva was incorporated first to be able to collectively buy a ball and some kits. The club was given its name, Osasuna, which means health, force or vigor in Euskara. They have spent 31 of their seasons since in the first division with their highest finish being fourth on two occasions, once in 1990-1991 and in 2005-2006 which qualified them for the UEFA Cup which they then advanced to the semifinals eventually losing to eventual winners Sevilla. Last year however, they were in danger of relegation for much of the last part of the season being saved on the last day of the season, they were going down considering that they were also losing 1-0 to Real Madrid, but they came back with two goals in the second half with the decider coming from ex-Madrid cantera product Juanfran.
Trophy Room:
* 4 UEFA Cup participations
* Copa del Rey runner's up: 2005

Famous Former Players: Michael Robinson, Javier Aguirre, Carlos Vela, Manuel Almunia, Jon Andoni Goikoetxea
Main Story from last year: The incredible last day of the season where they saved themselves from relegation, but the story of the year was what a local farmer in Osasuna did to push his club on. They were at the bottom of the table for 11 weeks but if they managed to beat Real Betis, he was going to donate one suckling pig for every first team player. It was all over the local news, the videos of the cute little piggies, the players were up for the match and the rojillos drew to the beticos but a week later, after a long week of gastrointestinal motivation, the players beat Espanyol at home and they feasted on the little porkers. The End. I guess alot of you have these visions of Charlotte's Web and saving Wilbur, but we all motivate ourselves by whatever means is necessary. Send complaints care of CA Osasuna in Spain.

Transfers: Signing MF Calleja from Malaga for two years on a free from Malaga. They also bought FW Carlos Aranda from relegated Numancia who like Calleja is an ex-Real Madrid youth team product.

Squad Overview: If people thought Osasuna were in trouble last year, they'd be hard pressed to find anymore optimism for this coming season either. They've brought in some experience in Calleja and Aranda, but they have lost a ton of players like Sunny, Tiago Gomes and Hector Font who all returned to their former clubs when loan spells ended. The club will be younger, they had a productive set of games at the end of the season when Camacho brought in some younger players who played well.

Prediction: They don't look any stronger than last year, but this will be another atrocious year at the bottom of the table in Spain with maybe 10 teams vying for 3 relegation slots. I don't have much faith in Osasuna, but I think there are huge problems in Gijon, so I think Osasuna because of Camacho who is a top quality coach save themselves and finish 15th.