José Bordalás marks a decade as Getafe manager this Saturday, a period that has defined the modern identity of the club. His arrival on 27 September 2016, with the team second from bottom in the Segunda División and just six points from seven games, began an era that would take the Azulones back to the top flight and into European competition.

The Alicante-born coach, then 52 with a long career in dugouts like those of Hércules and Alavés, was hired to avoid relegation. His first match ended 0-0 against Tenerife, but the first win came a week later, 2-0 against UCAM Murcia. Bordalás achieved the unthinkable: he lifted the team to third place and, after overcoming Huesca and Tenerife in the playoffs, returned Getafe to the elite in just one year.

Consolidation in the top flight

The return was no mere formality. In their first season back in Primera, the newly promoted side finished eighth. The 2018-19 campaign was historic: a fifth-place finish with 59 points, just two shy of the Champions League, and the second-best defence in the league, behind only Atlético Madrid. Players like David Soria, Djené, Damián Suárez, Mauro Arambarri, Nemanja Maksimovic, Jaime Mata and Marc Cucurella developed under his guidance. Mata even earned a Spain call-up at the age of 30.

Cucurella, from his time at Chelsea, acknowledged the manager's influence. "Bordalás me mejoró; jugar en la Premier se lo debo a él," said the full-back. The sporting peak came with qualification for the Europa League and a memorable tie against Ajax, Champions League semi-finalists months earlier. Getafe won 2-0 at the Coliseum and held firm in Amsterdam, later falling to Inter Milan in a one-off match due to the pandemic.

'Bordalismo' and its legacy

From his style emerged the term 'bordalismo', describing a compact, aggressive, and vertical brand of football. Though critics reduced it to fouls and interruptions, his best teams pressed high, used two strikers, and attacked with few passes and many players. The essence was captured at San Mamés in 2023, when Bordalás, after a draw, exclaimed to the media: "¡Esto es fútbol, papá!". The phrase became a terrace chant and summed up his humour and philosophy.

Wear and tear led to his departure in 2021, but the separation with president Ángel Torres lasted less than two years. In April 2023, with Getafe in relegation danger and seven games to play, Bordalás returned out of a sense of moral obligation. Now, with the team 11th in La Liga on 8 points after seven matches, his legacy endures. The next challenge is a tough trip to face leaders Barcelona on 10 October.

Bordalás has managed 354 official matches for Getafe, with 133 wins, 93 draws and 128 losses. Of those, 280 were in Primera División, accounting for nearly 35% of all the club's top-flight games across 21 seasons. His imprint is indelible.

More detail at Diario de Navarra