There are no instances in football history of coaches, players or leaders protesting when they are praised at times of triumph or titles won by their teams. It doesn’t matter where the compliments come from. However, when streaks are reversed, when match results are negative or campaigns are terrible – as is the case with Emelec 2023 – and this produces logical criticism, coaches, players and managers claim reprimands.

​The wind is slowing down Emelec, according to coach Miguel Rondelli

Miguel Rondelli, a coach with a short experience in the first division (only 31 games, of which 22 for Universidad Católica and nine for Emelec) has never managed a popular team. The Argentine replaced the unproductive Ismael Rescalvo, whose departure was met with general dismay among the Blues.

Emelec 2023: Worse numbers than 1980, in eight starting dates, when it was relegated to Serie B

But Rondelli, polite until the questions came, was already feeling the pressure. The Argentinian DT had several heated discussions at press conferences, when he was asked to explain the terrible task of the emelecista in the 2023 Pro League.

“Miguel Rondelli understood that in six games the team is a disaster, that Emelec is not easy,” says Esteban Dreer, the former Blue goalkeeper

bad winds

Their responses included a request to “not see ghosts where there are none”, or obvious “we have to improve”. Rondeli’s unfortunate statements were also recorded, such as these: “It seems to me that he has not fallen behind in the game (of the electric ones, despite the fact that Emelec has practically already lost the stage)”, or “it is not a defeat. it leaves me worried (the one who suffered against Aucas)”. And the latest: “we had the wind against us and it was very difficult for us to play (in the 0-0 with Cumbaya)”.

In the case of the blue president, José Pileggi – with barely one semester of baggage in a sports function like the one he is facing – said the following a few days ago: “This is just beginning, we are on the seventh date of the first phase (… ) We cannot ask results that have not been achieved in five years in a barely two-month-old Pro League. That a barely four-month-old directive solves legacy problems”.

It is true that the numbers of Emelec 2023 are catastrophic. The club’s position in the table (thirteenth) ranks it among the four worst teams in the tournament. With eight units, it is only one point away from the relegation zone. It is located above Guayaquil City, Mushuc Runa and Libertad. Fourteen points separate him from the leader Independiente del Valle.

poor numbers

In the next six days, Emelec will compete against the five teams that are above them in the table. In nine sessions, with several victories, this current one is the worst start to the millionaires’ campaign in the Ecuadorian tournament. Rondelli’s troops today, within nine games played, have worse numbers than those Emelec had at the beginning of the tournament in 1980, which ended with relegation to Serie B. Even at the end of that fateful year, they did not have such bad numbers in the last nine matches as those embodied in millionaire beginning in 2023, in nine games.

The bad news, in statistical terms, does not stop for Emelec. After a 0-0 draw with Cumbaya last Sunday, the shipyard side ended a six-game winless run. They have not won since beating Técnico Universitario 1-0, in their third appearance in the 2023 Pro League.

Drought in 2007

Coincidentally, the current win streak is comparable to that of 2007, when Emelec went seven consecutive games without adding three points (Ferdinand Hidalgo Rojas was the president). Although that year the first half of the competition was 18 days, rather than 15 as it is now, a performance similar to this condemned the millionaires to stay in the basement of that opening round of the championship.

In 2007, in a span of seven dates, between the ninth and fifteenth day of the first stage, Emelec never won. He lost four times (including one as a home owner) and drew three times. In 2023, Emelec de Rondeli’s streak without a win is six games, between the matches of the fourth and ninth term of the first phase of the Pro League. In that frame, they have four defeats (two at the George Capwell Stadium) and two draws.

In the next match, Emelec will welcome Liga de Quito, with the intention of winning and not reaching seven consecutive games without a win. (D)