Zaragoza recharge batteries with fans, but Francho still missing

Real Zaragoza sought to end the year on a positive note with an open training session at the Ibercaja Estadio, drawing around a thousand loyal supporters despite the club’s precarious league position.

Fan connection despite struggles

The turnout wasn’t quite what the club would have seen in previous years at La Romareda, with the temporary stadium location and the team’s position in the relegation zone dampening the atmosphere somewhat. Despite showing improvement under Rubén Sellés, Zaragoza remain second-bottom of the table, four points from safety. Proper squeaky bum time, innit?

The session was designed to reconnect with supporters ahead of Sunday’s challenging fixture against Las Palmas, one of the division’s tougher opponents. A win there would be just what the doctor ordered to kick off the new year.

Injury concerns persist

Notably absent from training were several key players:

• Martín Aguirregabiria
• Pau Sans
• Paulino

Most concerning for Zaragoza fans was the continued absence of Francho Serrano. The midfielder has missed the last two matches with a knee problem and remains a serious doubt for the Las Palmas clash, though he’s racing against time to be fit.

Stadium investment confirmed

On the financial front, the club officially confirmed what had been promised days earlier - Zaragoza have contributed their €10 million investment to La Nueva Romareda S.L., the company overseeing the new stadium development.

In a statement, the club emphasized this payment demonstrates “the solidity of our management and firm commitment to this strategic project” while fulfilling their obligations to the shareholders’ agreement in a “strict and punctual” manner.

For a club facing on-pitch struggles, securing their future home represents at least one area where they’re keeping their promises to the Zaragoza faithful.