WILL THE CURSE OF THE 9 FINALLY BE BROKEN?

By José Antonio Jerruz Mancilla.

**The arrival of Ariel Herrero (Leon, 1999) to the ranks of CD Estepona has returned the illusion to a red and white parish that has seen how, during the last three seasons, each and every one of the strikers who have passed through the Francisco Muñoz Perez have done so with more pain than glory.

**The young striker from Leon has to his credit some very important figures to take into account. Without going any further, he has just been proclaimed top scorer in Group V of Segunda RFEF with UD Sanse, after scoring a total of 13 goals in 33 games he has played (0.39 goals per game). Same figures as those achieved by Álvaro Sánchez, an old acquaintance of the fans, with CF Talavera and by Mariano with CD Coria.

Although what most people wonder is if he will be able to maintain such numbers or if he will be one more of many others in whom many hopes were deposited and ended up being, season after season, real disappointments.

**A MARKET MARKED BY UNCERTAINTY

It is necessary to go back to the first season of the Costa Rican team in the category, the 2022/23. At that time, CD Estepona acquired the services of strikers Álvaro Sánchez and Manu Toledano from CD Móstoles and RB Linense, respectively.

The striker from Madrid had scored no less than 16 goals the previous season. However, during his time in Estepona he could barely score 5 goals in 28 games played (0.18 goals per game). Less fortunate was the young and lanky attacker from Linares. After a very encouraging start, he only scored 2 goals in the 16 games he played (0.13 goals per game) and ended up leaving the team in the winter transfer window.

Following his departure, the club brought in three new strikers who were unable to improve the team. Both Frodo and Raúl Caballero, coming from CF Talavera and CD San Fernando, respectively, barely scored on a couple of occasions each. The player from Aranda de Duero did so in 13 games (0.15 goals per game), while the young attacker from Jaén did the same in 17 games (0.12 goals per game). The Colombian Rodallega deserves a special mention, who was unable to score in his few nine league appearances.

**MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

The season 2023/24 started with the illusion sky-high after the property threw the house out the window in the summer market. Rubén Mesa, Nando Copete, Sergio Moreno and Sergio Moreno arrived to Estepona. All of them, along with Raúl Caballero, would be the "rojillos" strikers for the new season that was about to begin.

The striker from Badajoz arrived with a great resume, extensive experience and one of the highest salaries in the whole category. But far from reality, he was only able to celebrate 2 goals in the 31 games he played (0.06 goals per game). An absolute disappointment.

For his part, the always fractious Sergio Moreno barely celebrated 4 goals in the 26 games he played in the red and white jersey (0.15 goals per game). Both Nando Copete and **Raúl Caballero were unable to score in the 11 and 10 games they played, respectively. Both ended up leaving the team in the winter transfer window.

MIGUEL DE HITA RESORTS TO THE FORMULA FOR SUCCESS MIGUEL DE HITA RESORTS TO THE FORMULA FOR SUCCESS.

The course 2024/25 began with the surprising continuity of Rubén Mesa at the forefront of the Reds' attack and the flaming arrival of a signing who arrived on loan; the Ivorian Jacques Dago. In the hero of Marbella CF's promotion to Primera RFEF, many of the rojillas hopes were deposited in front of goal but he was barely able to score 6 goals in the 35 games he played as a rojillo (0.17 goals per game).

For his part, Rubén Mesa managed to improve the numbers he did in his first season. He scored 4 goals in the 16 league games he played (0.25 goals per game) until December. An internal problem in the locker room** meant that he had to pack his bags** in January, heading to Llano del Beal. There, paradoxically, he made a great second round with Deportiva Minera.

After his departure, the sports management set their eyes on César Gómez, who had just had a good first half of the championship with CD Illescas, scoring 7 goals in 18 games. However, here he was barely able to celebrate one goal in the 13 games he played (0.08 goals per game). His time in Estepona was practically inconsequential.

**THE ETERNAL QUESTION

Will the new striker from Leon be able to reach double digits with the shirt of CD Estepona? His record is, to say the least, quite flattering and in him are deposited many of the red and white hopes for the new course. Although the main question that all the red and white fans are asking themselves is the following: Will Ariel Herrero be able to end the curse of the 9 once and for all?