A thirteen-month season
Almería are still waiting for the official communication of the dates for the play-offs
On 10th July 2019, UD Almería began the pre-season ahead of the 2019/20 campaign. A year and a half later, the season has not finished yet, and an official communication of the dates for the play-offs for promotion to the First Division is awaited with impatience, in order to complete the current campaign that is on its way to prolonging a period of nothing more and nothing less, thirteen months!
Five weeks after having finished the pre-season, Almería debuted in the SmartBank League and defeated Albacete (3-0). It was 17th August, 2019. No one could think, back then, how the events would be experienced because on 23rd March 2020 the competition was halted over the coronavirus outbreak. A few days earlier, on 13th March, the Rojiblanca squad had stopped training for the same reason.
On 9th May 9, Almería, like the other teams, allowed their players to return to training, although in a staggered way and under strict health security measures; first with individualised workouts, then in small groups and finally at a collective level. The resumption of the League was being prepared and finally, on 14th June, the Almeria side played their first game after the break; again against Albacete, and again resulted in a victory; this time the score was 0-1.
On 20th July the regular phase of the championship ended with the Rojiblancos sitting fourth in the standings, and on 23rd and 26th they should have taken on Girona in the first knockout stage of the play-offs which was postponed, and the date and time of the forthcoming fixtures are still to be confirmed.