Rubén de la Barrera’s tenure at Albacete Balompié was brief, but it left a significant mark during one of the most important moments in the club’s recent history. The Galician coach arrived at the helm on June 2, 2021, amid a full rebuilding process after relegation, with the clear mission of returning the team to professional football. He signed for two seasons with an option for a third, as the club bet on a young profile with clear ideas and experience in promotions.
Under his guidance, Alba found its best form at the decisive moment, reaching the promotion playoff and achieving the goal on June 11, 2022, when the Manchego side secured promotion to Segunda División by defeating Deportivo de La Coruña 1-2 at Riazor. That triumph brought the club back to professional football just one year after relegation and marked a major sporting success.
However, Rubén de la Barrera’s cycle at Albacete ended unexpectedly just days after securing promotion. On June 15, 2022, the Galician coach decided not to continue with the project, despite having a year left on his contract. His departure, driven by a personal decision, closed a short but intense chapter in which he fulfilled the set objective and left the team back in the second division.
Now, nearly two years later, the Galician coach will return to the Carlos Belmonte, this time as manager of Cultural Leonesa, in a reunion full of symbolism. Albacete, with nothing left to play for, will host the Lions with several injuries—Higinio Marín, Antonio Puertas, Víctor Valverde, Agus Medina, Jesús Vallejo, Raúl Lizoain, Cedeño, and Lazo (suspended)—but with the returns of Pepe Sánchez and Javi Villar to the squad. The Manchego side, already past the 50-point mark, expect a quiet end to the season on the pitch.
Cultural Leonesa clings to a miracle to stay another season in LaLiga Hypermotion, which requires winning their remaining four matches. The Lions will face Albacete away and Real Sociedad B on the road, while hosting Burgos CF and SD Eibar at the Reino de León, both of which are fighting for playoff spots. Rubén de la Barrera’s team arrives at the Carlos Belmonte after four consecutive defeats, with a telling statistic: they are the worst team in the category. Their last away win came on December 7, 2025, when they beat SD Eibar 1-2 at Ipurua.
Albacete’s Alberto González said: “This week we have spoken with the club about the renewal.”
Cultural’s Rubén de la Barrera said: “I hope we can stretch the rubber band.”
For Saturday’s match, Rubén de la Barrera will be without one of his most decisive players, Thiago Ojeda, who has not recovered from a muscle injury that sidelined him for the last two games. Also absent due to injury are Fornos and Manu Justo, who got hurt in the last training session of the week.
