Andrea Esteban has become one of the standout coaches in Spanish women’s football after leading Deportivo Alavés Gloriosas to a brilliant promotion to Liga F. Forced to retire as a player at just 23 due to injuries during her time at Valencia, she transitioned into coaching, taking charge of the Valencia technical staff from 2021 to 2023 before moving to the Basque club. In an exclusive interview with Flashscore Spain’s Country Manager, Óliver Domínguez, Esteban discussed her team’s current situation, their project, and more.
**Q: What does it mean for Vitoria and Alavés to have the women’s team in the top flight?**
**A:** It’s something very important. Vitoria is a city that truly supports sports. Alavés, as the biggest football representative in the region, enjoys massive backing, and we’ve felt that throughout the year. That extra strength helped us achieve our goal. Returning to the elite is crucial for the city, the club, and the project we’re building. We managed it after three years of hard work—because when you go down, it’s never easy to come back. Now the objective is to stay up, to ensure Alavés establishes itself in Liga F and becomes a stable team. Hopefully, we’ll succeed.
**Q: How did you experience the season? Were there any moments of doubt?**
**A:** We have to look beyond this season because we came from a very tough year, especially with that playoff elimination in the 127th minute, missing out on promotion due to a direct goal-average tiebreaker with Alhama. That taught us a lesson—not to see a season as just 27 matches, but as 52 weeks of work. The doubts had already surfaced last year when our performance dipped in the second half and we nearly faded, though we still fought until the end. This year, those doubts didn’t appear because we had that learning experience. The team has been incredibly consistent and solid, losing only four matches. In the second half, we had a moment where we lost two consecutive games—against Barça B and Villarreal—but even then, the squad remained calm. Right after those losses, we quickly returned to winning with clean sheets and high performance. Outsiders might have sensed doubt based on last year, but inside the locker room, we never felt it. The goal was always clear: direct promotion. Obviously, we didn’t voice it until the end, but we carried that responsibility within the group. Ultimately, we secured it with three games to spare—a resounding success, thanks again to the team’s regularity and reliability.
Andrea Esteban
Deportivo Alavés
**”Not getting promoted last season was tough—there was a deathly silence”**
**Q: How did the dressing room react after last year’s heartbreak? What lessons did you take from it, especially with the cruel luck of losing on the direct tiebreaker against Alhama?**
**A:** It’s one of the hardest moments I’ve experienced as a coach—the hardest, I’d say. There was a deathly silence. I remember that 127th minute, and it happened at our home stadium, which still gives me goosebumps. Ultimately, the team came together and reflected deeply on what we could have done better, especially in the second half of that season, but also in the first—because when you’re winning, that’s often when you need to analyze performance without being blinded by results. We emerged stronger. I always say that those experiences shape us. Now, we’re focused on not becoming a yo-yo team; we want Alavés to be a permanent fixture in the top division.
