Castellón under Bob Voulgaris is flying in the Spanish Segunda División. After 26 matchdays, the team from the Valencian Community is at the top of the Spanish second division; as of today, they would be promoted directly to La Liga without even going through the playoffs.
Thus continues the clear growth of this club, owned by the former poker player and professional bettor of Greek-Canadian origins.
A pinch of Italy
So how is the season going for the “Orelluts”? Definitely well, now, after a disastrous start. On September 16th, after just five matchdays, Castellón sacked Dutch coach Johan Plat, who had only collected 2 points until then.
The 3-3 home draw with newly-promoted Ceuta was fatal. From there, the replacement with Pablo Hernandez, a former Valencia player and at that time coach of the Valencians’ B-team. It seemed like a classic interim situation: instead, from then on, 14 wins arrived, along with 4 draws and 3 more defeats.
A clear leap forward in the standings from the relegation zone to the top of the Segunda División, just this weekend, overtaking the pre-season favorites: Racing Santander, Almeria, Las Palmas and Deportivo La Coruña.
Hernandez achieved all this by also playing Italian footballers, such as the defender Brignani, formerly of Mantova, leader of a defense that is the second best in the league (but the first since the coaching change at Castellón).
The goalkeeper Matthys, who became a starter during the season, is the least beaten in the league in terms of goals conceded per game: 18 in 22 appearances.
Castellón built with the algorithm (Voulgaris style)
Haralabos “Bob” Voulgaris has been in charge since 2022, when he took over 90% of the club in the third tier for just 4 million. A path of gradual growth has led Castellón, which has not participated in La Liga since 1991, to first rise to the Segunda División, then to save themselves last year and now to even aim for promotion.
All in perfect Voulgaris style, through the deep and analytical use of data, primarily in transfer market dealings. Brignani, but not only him, of course.
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The goalkeeper Matthys himself arrived from MVV Maastricht (Dutch second division) for example, and the team’s two starting forwards, the Guinean Camara and the Congolese Cipenga, from Auxerre and Paços Ferreira respectively, in 2024, for 500,000 and on a free transfer.
After all, “Bob” has always been a fan of advanced statistics, even creating his own personal algorithm capable of beating the bookies when he bet on NBA basketball.
| Operator |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castellón to win 2nd Division | 2.50 | 3.00 | 3.50 |
Castellón – Voulgaris, seeking sustainability
Last January 7th, the club’s shareholders’ meeting approved a budget for the current season of 14.3 million, of which 7.5 are destined for the squad, all-inclusive, between players and coaches.
A season that is expected to result in a loss of 2.3 million, however, a decrease compared to the -10.6 of the 2023-24 championship (the one of the leap to the second tier) and the -3.95 of 2024-25.
In the same Castellón shareholders’ meeting, where Voulgaris was not present but represented by a trustee, a capital increase was also stipulated, the highest in the club’s history, from 8.1 to 12.63 million.
The Segunda División is still very long, it is a real marathon with 16 games still to be played. The “Orelluts” currently have a 3-point lead over the third-placed team, which would mean direct promotion to La Liga, and 7 over seventh place, to stay in the playoffs.
We will see if Bob Voulgaris can pull off another one of his magic tricks.
Where to bet
In Italy, you can naturally also bet on the Spanish second division, and the best betting sites provide their new members with betting welcome bonuses. Below you can find an informative-comparative table:
