Lorenzo Serra Ferrer returned to Real Betis as a sporting director in May 2017.
Around 14 months later, only six players remain that were present before he took on his current
role.
Betis have undergone an impressive evolution in a short space of time.
Joaquin, Alex Alegria, Aissa Mandi, Tonny Sanabria, Darko Brasanac and Alin Tosca are
the only remaining faces, with three of their number already spending time away from the
club on loan in the last 12 months.
The hire of Quique Setien proved to be inspired, with trust put in the long-term vision rather
than short-term gains.
Betis lurched between being leaky and entertaining and genuinely brilliant, with their victory
over Real Madrid at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in September 2017 hinting at the brilliant
football that was to come.
In just three months under Serra Ferrer’s guidance, the club moved on a massive 16 players
to make the new playing philosophy possible, with faith being put in a new project and
a new way of doing things.
A spring clean was underway, with any dead wood or players incapable of hitting the heights
required to guide Betis back to Europe thrown by the wayside.
In the summer of 2018, the revolving door hasn’t stopped, with the likes of Antonio
Adan, Ruben Castro, Fabian Ruiz, Riza Durmisi, Dani Gimenez and Rafa Navarro being sold on,
despite the existing group having achieved a fifth place LaLiga finish and European qualification.
The goalposts have shifted, expectations have heightened, and Betis aren’t going to stand
still.
Last season, business was done to get the club moving against and in the equation for
a strong top-half finish.
When that was threatening to become a reality due to some promising signs and performances
as of January, the high-profile signing of Marc Bartra showed their further intent.
This summer’s business has been ambitious and seeking to help Quique Setien’s group
hit the next level.
There will be no treading water under Serra Ferrer.
Marc Bartra’s purchase showed that Real Betis meant business.
Back in 2015, the club had gambled on an ageing big name Rafael van der Vaart to be an answer
to their midfield problems, but three years on they were signing a 27-year-old Spain international
with experience playing for the likes of FC Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund.
This was the type of player that Betis could now attract, which would previously have been
a completely unrealistic target.
No doubt, that transfer did not go unnoticed when Betis moved to upgrade once again.
Antonio Barragan’s loan spell from Middlesbrough was made permanent, with the likes of Eibar
and Japan star Takashi Inui, Real Sociedad playmaker Sergio Canales and goalkeepers Joel
Robles and Pau Lopez all coming in on frees, showing forward planning that hadn’t been
present prior to mid-2017.
The biggest of their deals this time around, however, has come in the form of Portugal
international midfielder William Carvalho.
Previously linked with huge Premier League clubs of the stature of Manchester United
or Arsenal, William had been closely watched for several years, through Portuguese league
fixtures and international exploits at Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
All signs pointed towards a giant of the continent taking a chance on the defensive midfielder,
but instead it was Betis who came out on top.
Betis, who had only returned to LaLiga in the 2015/16 campaign after a year’s absence
in Segunda.
Betis, whose business in 2015 included the likes of Didier Digard, Heiko Westermann and
Roman Zozulya.
Betis have come a long way in a short space of time, with their squad now padded out with
familiar faces and plenty of personnel that made their way to Russia for the World Cup.
William Carvalho will anchor a midfield that contains the likes of Andres Guardado, Inui,
Ryad Boudebouz and Canales, with Marc Bartra leading by example when stepping out from
the back to link up with Los Verdiblancos’ latest capture.
Carvalho will be at the heart of matters when building out from Betis’ own half, but has
the quality to provide a screen defensively.
Although the 26-year-old is nowhere near as mobile as the outgoing Fabian Ruiz, the presence
of the busy Guardado should supplement the levels of athleticism in the engine room,
and his arrival promises further stability in a squad that has the technical ability
but sometimes lacks the right level of discipline to see out clean sheets.
With Bartra and William Carvalho on board, Betis’ reputation and potential has taken
another step forward, with Serra Ferrer continuing to help guide an exciting project further
through its rapid evolution.
The sky looks to be the limit for Real Betis and Quique Setien.