Promotion: an experience already lived.

The importance of experience. That popular phrase is particularly relevant when analysing the squads of UD Las Palmas and R. Zaragoza as between both sides there are 13 players that have gone up to the Liga BBVA. The Canarians possess 11 promotions amongst nine players, whilst the Aragoneses have four players with one change of division each. One of the curious cases is of Pedro Sánchez. The R. Zaragoza player from Alicante managed to go up via the playoffs last season with Córdoba CF. His opponent in the final then was also UD Las Palmas and he hopes to repeat that experience to achieve promotion at the Estadio de Gran Canaria. Two more players managed to get promoted last season. Juan Emmanuel Culio, of Las Palmas, and Borja Bastón, of R. Zaragoza, got promoted last year with RC Deportivo. Last season they celebrated together, and on this occasion, only one can return to having that feeling.

Players that have already gone up as teammates
The Canarian outfit have two players that have managed to get promoted twice to the Liga BBVA. Aythami Artile went up to the Liga BBVA in 2009 with Xerez CF and three years later with RC Deportivo as part of the same squad as Juan Carlos Valerón, who is once again his teammate. At the side from Jerez Jerónimo Figueroa 'Momo', who also won promotion in 2011 with Real Betis, also shared a dressing room with current teammate and Las Palmas goalkeeper Casto Espinosa. Another two players from Paco Herrera’s squad who won promotion as teammates are Christian Fernández and Marcelo Silva. The two central defenders formed part of the UD Almeria side in the 2012/13 season that went up via the playoffs.

The first player of those involved at the Estadio Gran Canaria to be promoted was Ángel López. The Canarian full-back went up to the Liga BBVA with RC Celta in 2005. Zaragoza midfielder Natxo Insa also achieved promotion with the Sky Blues, but seven years later in 2012. The other two players who can say they have lived through this experience are Las Palmas’ Nauzet Alemán (with R. Valladolid in 2012) and the Aragones’ centre-forward Jesús Rodríguez Tato (with Real Murcia CF in 2007).