'First Dates' at El Alcoraz: SD Huesca and UD Almería set for reunion meeting

It will feel a bit like the popular Spanish dating show First Dates this Friday at El Alcoraz, as SD Huesca and UD Almería meet in a fixture packed with footballing 'exes.' Rarely does a single match bring together so many players and head coaches who have previously worn the colours of the opposing club.

An 'ex' is more than just a prefix, it is someone who knows you inside out, aware of your strengths and weaknesses and capable of using that knowledge when it matters most. In football, such reunions can be as curious as they are unpredictable. And this Friday, in the El Alcoraz setting reminiscent of First Dates, several familiar storylines will be rekindled.

The pitch will be filled with players cut from the same cloth. Both SD Huesca and UD Almería currently boast a number of professionals who have represented and defended both badges at different stages of their footballing careers.

The standout figure with deep ties to both dressing rooms is current UD Almería head coach Rubi. The gaffer, who has guided both the Oscense and the Rojiblancos to promotion to the top flight, returns to the ground where he secured his first top-flight promotion during the 2017/18 season.

There are also several UD Almería players who previously shone in SD Huesca colours. The most recent is Patrick Soko, who made more than 60 appearances across two spells with the Aragón club. Last season, he played a key role in pushing SD Huesca close to the play-off spots, contributing 13 goals.

Goalkeeper Andrés Fernández is enjoying an impressive campaign for UD Almería, but he also made history at SD Huesca, winning the Zamora Trophy during the first of his two stints with the club.

SD Huesca’s dressing room also carries strong Rojiblanco connections. One example is Francisco Portillo, who won the Segunda title with UD Almería, scoring 3 goals and providing nearly 10 assists along the way.

Local talent Joaquín Fernández, a native of Huércal de Almería, recently joined the Aragón outfit after progressing through UD Almería’s youth ranks and eventually reaching the first team.

Striker Jordi Escobar also had a brief spell in red and white stripes, featuring for the 'B' team during the 2021/22 season.

Perhaps, the most intriguing storyline belongs to Jorge Pulido. SD Huesca’s current skipper will become a UD Almería player in June, meaning he will not be facing a former club on Friday, but rather his future one.

Finally, José Luis Oltra, now in charge at UD Huesca, also has history with UD Almería, having coached the Andalusian side throughout the 2010/11 campaign.

Friday’s meeting will therefore feel like a sticker-album reunion, an emotional and special encounter for many of the protagonists involved, united by their shared professional past.