UD Almería 'B' step up pre-season preparations with the 2026/27 campaign now looming on the horizon. The youth team will compete in Group IX of the Tercera RFEF after being relegated following two consecutive seasons in Segunda RFEF.

Pablo Nozal, the new UD Almería 'B' head coach, is in no doubt about the team's objective: 'We must fight to regain the division we lost, while also trying to help some of our players make the step up to the first team.'

'We're working hard and with high standards, which is the only way to get used to the tempo we want to impose later on, which will be a high one,' the coach stressed. He went on to point out: 'We're going to compete in a very difficult group, with opponents such as Granada CF and Málaga CF's 'B' teams, Motril, Melilla, Mancha Real...'

The objective is clear, and the Madrid-born gaffer fully embraces it. 'We will go into every game looking for the win, but to achieve that, we'll have to know how to compete,' he explained.

The squad has undergone a major overhaul. Some players have stayed on from last season, others have arrived as new signings, while several have stepped up from UD Almería U19s 'A'. 'We have to accelerate their maturation process because from now on they will be competing at a different level,' he says.

Mr Nozal says he has 'very good vibes' about the team, adding that 'we have a very young squad that is hugely excited and eager. After relegation, we must change the energy and renew ourselves, and in that respect everyone's attitude has been outstanding.'

The new UD Almería 'B' head coach, 45, has extensive experience in youth football, having spent 7 years at Atlético Madrid. He has also coached teams in Segunda RFEF, including CD Illescas and Fuenlabrada CF.