Iván Ania continues to break records as the manager of Córdoba. His latest achievement came yesterday afternoon when his team defeated Granada 1-0. With that victory, Ania’s squad has now strung together six consecutive wins in the Segunda División, equaling the feat accomplished by the 1959-60 team coached by Roque Olsen. That legendary side came close to securing the club’s first-ever promotion to La Liga.
During yesterday’s match against Granada, the club displayed a graphic on their video screens under the title “Data Center,” listing the five straight wins Ania’s team had recorded over the previous five weeks. The turnaround began in April after Córdoba had plunged into a poor run of form, taking just one point from a possible 24.
However, the visit to Cádiz’s Estadio Mirandilla proved to be the turning point. Córdoba won 3-1, rediscovering their rhythm and confidence. With a touch of grit, they followed up with victories over Real Zaragoza and Cultural Leonesa, both decided in the dying minutes, pushing the team past the 50-point mark.
Once safety was secured, Ania instilled a relentless mentality in his players. Córdoba entered a kind of playoff race where only wins would keep their slim hopes alive. In fact, before the match against Sporting Gijón, they were given just a one percent chance of reaching the promotion playoffs.
Yet Córdoba showed tremendous faith, defeating Sporting Gijón 3-2 and effectively eliminating them from contention. Next, they faced a tough test at Castalia against a team still eyeing automatic promotion. Córdoba won 2-1 with a stellar performance from Adrián Fuentes, and with that result, Ania equaled his own previous achievement of five consecutive wins in Primera Federación.
But history was calling: Córdoba had not recorded six consecutive league wins since 1960. That milestone was reached yesterday, and it came through sheer determination—they overcame two injuries and a red card to beat Granada 1-0. Ania is determined to keep his team in the race for promotion.
Córdoba CF
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Córdoba CF
Ania aims to go further
The precedent dates back to 1960. At that time, the Segunda División was split into two groups, and Córdoba surged into promotion contention by winning six straight games. The run lasted from February 7 to March 20, with victories over Atlético Almería, Rayo Vallecano, Cádiz, Mestalla, Badajoz, and Real Jaén. The streak ended with a 1-0 loss to Mallorca at the Luis Sitjar, as Mallorca eventually won the group and were promoted with 40 points, while Córdoba finished with 39. They then lost a painful promotion playoff against Real Sociedad, settled by a tiebreaker at the Santiago Bernabéu. That run didn’t lead to promotion, but it laid the foundation for the team that reached La Liga two years later, still under Olsen.
Ania’s story isn’t over yet. Next up is a match against Albacete, where he can stand alone with a new record. But for him, that’s just an excuse to keep dreaming of the playoffs.