11 July 2007, by Sean Gillen

Jorge Andrade 2006/07 season review

Defender earns overdue move to European giant

In his last season with Deportivo La Coruna, Jorge Andrade demonstrated in the second half of the 2006/07 campaign the form that has seen him established as one of the continent’s finest defenders.

A serious knee injury in March 2006 not only ruined Andrade’s hopes of taking part in his first World Cup last summer, but an expected big-money transfer was also put on hold, meaning another year at mid-table La Liga side Depor for the frustrated centre-back.

Having sat out the opening months of the season, Andrade made his competitive comeback for Portugal against Kazakhstan in mid-November, but had to wait until 20th December to make his first league appearance for Depor, in a 4-0 defeat at Sevilla.

Andrade played every league game during the remainder of the season and, although four yellow cards in his first five games suggested he was taking time to find his feet in the Depor defence, the former Porto man’s influence soon began to show in the team’s results.

Following their first 16 league games of the season, Depor had kept just six clean sheets, and sat in 15th place in La Liga. In the 16 games following Andrade’s return, the team kept ten clean sheets and soon found themselves climbing up the table.

Andrade’s performances soon saw talk of his future resurface, with the closing weeks of the season surrounded by speculation that Real Madrid and Barcelona would be fighting it out for his signature in the summer.

Perhaps Depor’s disastrous finish to the season, during which they conceded ten goals in three matches and Andrade was sent off on the final day, was off-putting for Spain’s big two, as neither Barca nor Real made a firm offer for the Portuguese come the end of the campaign.

However, Italian giants Juventus recognised his quality and struck a deal with Depor for the powerful defender’s services in July, finally giving the 29-year-old the big move he so thoroughly deserves.

                           Season stats - Jorge Andrade