Real Oviedo must find a fourth manager in the space of a year in order to try and bring them back to La Liga next season. Los Carbayones saw three different coaches attempt to keep them up, but were the first side to drop down to Segunda.
Club icon Veljko Paunovic brought Oviedo back up to La Liga for the first time in 24 years, but was dismissed just three months into the season. Luis Carrion, who coached Oviedo two seasons before, was brought back to the club but went winless during his second stint, and in December was replaced by then Real Valladolid coach Guillermo Almada. The Uruguayan earned more than two thirds of Oviedo’s points haul, but it was not enough to keep them up.
Guillermo Almada announces exit from Oviedo
After just over six months in charge, Almada announced that he would not be remaining at Oviedo, despite an offer to extend his deal.
“We will not be continuing at Real Oviedo; it’s a personal decision. It has been a great honour to represent an institution like this, and we greatly appreciate the offer to continue, but we’ve decided this. It’s a multifactorial decision, for several reasons. Oviedo has a great future and a good chance of returning to the First Division. We’re all just passing through; what matters is the institution, which has deep roots and something to be proud of,” Almada announced on Thursday, as quoted by La Voz de Asturias.
Matteo Moretto notes that Almada is now a candidate to take over at Cruz Azul in Mexico, which could be part of his decision.
Real Oviedo consider Fredi Alvarez as replacement
The Italian transfer journalist goes on to report that Fredi Alvarez, manager of Celta Vigo’s affiliate side Celta Fortuna, is one of the leading candidates to take over. Alvarez has qualified Fortuna for the play-offs in Primera RFEF for a second time in three years, after replacing now senior manager Claudio Giraldez.
El Real Oviedo valora a Fredi Álvarez como una de las opciones para liderar el nuevo proyecto en Segunda División.
El entrenador del Celta Fortuna, tras volver a meter al filial celeste en playoff, gana fuerza por su perfil valiente y competitivo.
— Matteo Moretto (@MatteMoretto) May 21, 2026
Alvarez, 50, has largely spent his career in Galician football, managing at Santiago de Compostela, Boiro and Izarra in the lower divisions, before returning to Celta for a second spell in 2021. Over the past five years, he has gone from youth coach, to under-19s side to affiliate Gran Pena and then back to Celta Fortuna.
