Two seasons ago, Zaragoza surprisingly had that trap door open up under them and they fell into the netherworld that they call second division. Forty two matches later the celebration was on as Zaragoza fans filled La Romareda and the project to make this club a force in Spain that seemed to have failed miserably might be back on track for now. He will also have former 1860 Munich and Rayo Vallecano midfielder Gerhard Poschner ready to do his part as sporting director with the Aragonian side.



Now the celebration and the talk is over, the job is simple and the task is at hand- find a way to stay up. Marcelino García Toral added yet another accomplishment to his resume by bringing Zaragoza up after only a year in Second Division. He was also key in leading Racing Santander to sixth place in La Liga in 2007-08; helping them earn a spot in the UEFA Cup. Now his next mission is to keep Los Maños up and that is a task in and of itself.

Players to watch:
Juan Pablo Carrizo (Lazio): The former Lazio goalkeeper wants to find a way back to the form he had back in his River Plate days. He had to find greener pastures in order to not feel the pressure of the Roman fans who had him on their most wanted list. His acrobatics are sometimes overshadowed by his eccentricity and that can cause for Zaragoza fans to come to the stadium with their own defibrillator. His welcome mat is nice and short as he will have to compete for the starting job against Javi López Vallejo, who allowed 33 goals in his 29 appearances. So for the Argentine international it will be a fight on two fronts this coming season; a crucial one for the Argentine goalkeeper.

Jermaine Pennant (Portsmouth): The former Liverpool man will be able to take advantage of his speed and skill on the right wing. The style of play in La Liga could allow him to once again obtain the type of recognition that drew comparisons to John Barnes once again. Expect this the player to really fall into place in Aragón if he is capable of doing what he does best. Maybe he never drew the interest of a person like Steve McClaren, but maybe Fabio Capello will be a different case, but it is up to him. Hopefully he will be able to have some type of mirror image on the left with former Betis and Hertha Berlin man Marko Babic on the left. Jorge López will also be key in generating offense for Zaragoza as well. The midfielder was able to score seven goals in 38 matches last season.

Abel Aguilar: Many considered Aguilar to be one of the top players in the Spanish Second division after loan stints with Xerez and Hércules. Yet again, Aguilar will see himself on loan again, but this time with a top flight side where he could truly shine. His role will really be important playing as distributor in the middle of the pitch. He could make a big splash although that will have to be seen as the only legitimate scorer up front for for Los Maños is Ewerthon who seemed to have found his scoring touch last season, filling up opposing nets 28 times in 38 matches. If he continues that run of form, he will once again become one of the most feared strikers in La Liga. He will also have Ike Uche ready to break out. The Nigerian international has shown flashes of brilliance in the past, but he puts it all together, this could be an explosive scoring duo. Based on Uche's preseason, there is reason to think that a supposition such as that could come true. Another offensive threat would be former River Plate midfielder Leonardo Ponzio.

Zaragoza have a good team to contend one of the middle to lower table spots in the first division, but there will be a question mark- defense. If Zaragoza depend on a 36-year-old Roberto Ayala to be their big horse in the backline, they are going to be in big trouble. Although he was fundamental to García Toral's scheme during Operation Return, he is no longer the player that he was when he was heralded as one of the best centerbacks in the world. Many thought that he would go back to Argentina to close out his career after Zaragoza were relegated, "El Ratón" stayed put and he showed his commitment to the club. The least the club can do is to keep him on board, but the question will be for how long. He did show frailties in his last season in top flight, so let's see how long he will be on. He will have the also Madrid youth player Francisco Pavón and young up and comer Victor Laguardia who will be debuting with the first team this season.

Injuries Already
Zaragoza will start the season with some important injuries. Peter Luccin and Carlos Diogo will be out of the squad for an extended period of time. The Frenchman Luccin suffered a serious injury while still playing for Racing and will not play for the rest of the calendar year. The Uruguayan international Diogo is also under wraps after once again tearing his ACL.

The cruciate bug also hit Los Maños with Raúl Goni whose absence will make the team's backline even thinner.

Add to this list players like Braulio (ankle) and García Toral was left with no choice but to expect to see what the youth divisions can contribute with in the meantime.

Pending?
Zaragoza are hoping to sign Real Madrid forward Álvaro Negredo. He would be the ideal candidate to be able to lead an attacking duo. The bad news for president Eduardo Bandrés is that Hull City might want him to pair up with Villarreal loanee Jozy Altidore. Zenit St. Petersburg also have the youngster on their radar despite there being an agreement between club and player for a five-year deal.

Players Gone
On Loan
Matuzalem --> Lazio*
Caffa --> Betis*

Sold
Miguel Ángel Zapater--> Genoa
Chus Herrero --> Cartagena
Stéphane Pignol-- Las Palmas
David Generelo--> Elche

Retired
Cuartero (retired)

Released
Toni Doblas

Jorge Zaparaín (Zaragoza B)