The Ciutat de València erupted after Kervin Arriaga made it 2-0 to Levante against Mallorca late on, a moment that encapsulated the remarkable turnaround orchestrated by an unheralded Portuguese coach. Luís Castro, who took over in December, has led Levante to the verge of safety in one of the tightest relegation battles in La Liga history.
A Coach Unknown to Many
When Levante's president Pablo Sánchez appointed Castro, few knew who he was. "I had heard of another Luís Castro but not this one," Sánchez admitted. This Castro, born 70km west and 19 years after his more famous namesake, began coaching five-year-olds and has no notable playing career. Yet he has written his name into Levante's history, guiding the club from the bottom of the table to 15th place with 42 points, three points clear of the relegation zone.
The Impossible Fight for Survival
Levante, with the smallest salary limit in the division at €17.4m, looked doomed earlier in the season. They had just nine points from 14 games under Julián Calero, and after two more games under interim coaches, they were six points adrift. Castro's arrival brought a clarity of message and a belief that there wasn't such a deficit in quality. "We were letting too many goals in transitions," he said. "When we were attacking, we weren't ready to lose the ball." He instilled defined roles and non-negotiable tasks, and the results followed.
Remarkable Turnaround
Under Castro, Levante have taken 32 points from 20 games, a record that would place them third in the league since his appointment. Three consecutive wins against Osasuna, Celta Vigo, and Mallorca have pulled them clear of the relegation zone for the first time this year. Key to their success has been the emergence of 20-year-old Carlos Espí, who has scored nine goals in the last 12 games after not starting until February, and the revival of striker Karl Etta Eyong, who scored the winner against Osasuna after a six-month goal drought.
One Step from Salvation
Levante's chances of relegation are now just 6%, according to Opta. To go down, they would need to lose at Betis, Girona to beat Elche, Mallorca to fail to beat Oviedo, and Osasuna to get a point at Getafe, creating a three-way tie on 42 points from which Levante would fall due to inferior goal difference. "We were the main candidates to go down and now we're one step from salvation," Sánchez said. "Castro surprised us. He has shown a lot of knowledge and fast."
As the season enters its final week, Levante hold their fate in their own hands for the first time in six months. "The numbers are good but if we don't finish it off we'll be left with a very bad feeling," Castro said. "They have 24 hours to enjoy this, as they always have when they win, and then we will get back to work. We can't think 'we're out', no, no, no. We're not safe yet and we won't look at the table, not until week 38. And it's still week 37."
