# 1997–98 Deportivo de La Coruña season

Deportivo La Coruña's 1997–98 season included its 33rd appearance in La Liga, where it ranked in 12th place. The club also competed in the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Cup.

## Summary

1997–98 was to be the first full season in charge for Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Silva, who had taken over from John Toshack following the Welshman's resignation in February. Silva had a strong start, guiding Deportivo to 3rd in La Liga by the end of the season, and earning them a return to European competition after a year away by qualifying for the 1997–98 UEFA Cup. Their first round opponents were Auxerre, but a 2–1 defeat at Estadio Riazor followed by a goalless draw in France saw Depor eliminated before the end of September.
Deportivo were also far from convincing in La Liga, and a 3–1 home defeat by Real Valladolid on 15 October left them 15th in the table, with just one win from their first six matches. Silva was sacked, and replaced by José Manuel Corral until the end of the season. Corral improved the club's league form slightly, but they were only able to finish the season a disappointing 12th, their lowest placing since 1991–92. They did reach the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey, but were defeated 3–1 on aggregate by Segunda División side Deportivo Alavés.
Corral made way at the end of the season for Javier Irureta, paving the way for the most successful period of the club's history. Irureta would lead them to their first top flight title only two seasons later.

## Players
### Squad

Source:
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 2 | DF | ESP | Armando Álvarez |
| 3 | DF | POR | Hélder |
| 4 | DF | MAR | Noureddine Naybet |
| 5 | MF | BRA | Djalminha |
| 6 | MF | BRA | Mauro Silva |
| 7 | FW | ESP | Javier Manjarín |
| 8 | MF | MAR | Mustapha Hadji |
| 10 | MF | ESP | Fran (captain) |
| 11 | FW | URU | Sergio Martínez |
| 12 | MF | ARG | Lionel Scaloni |
| 13 | GK | CMR | Jacques Songo'o |
| 14 | DF | ESP | Paco Jémez |
| 16 | MF | BRA | Flávio Conceição |
| 18 | FW | MAR | Salaheddine Bassir |
| 19 | DF | ESP | Luis Miguel Ramis |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 20 | MF | ESP | Donato |
| 21 | DF | FRA | Jérôme Bonnissel |
| 23 | FW | URU | Sebastián Abreu |
| 25 | GK | NGA | Peter Rufai |
| 28 | GK | ESP | Dani Mallo |
| 29 | DF | ESP | José Manuel Aira |
| 30 | FW | ESP | Deus |
| 31 | MF | ESP | Carlos Padín |
| 32 | FW | ESP | Maikel |
| 33 | DF | ESP | Pablo Pinillos |
| 34 | MF | ESP | Diego Pérez Míguez |
| 35 | DF | ESP | Toni |
| — | GK | POR | Nuno Espírito Santo |
| — | FW | VEN | Carlos García |

#### Left club during season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 8 | MF | FRA | Corentin Martins (to Strasbourg) |
| 9 | FW | BRA | Luizão (to Vasco da Gama) |
| 15 | MF | ESP | Alfredo Santaelena (to Sevilla) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 17 | DF | ESP | Nando (to Sevilla) |
| 22 | FW | FRA | Mickaël Madar (to Everton) |
| 26 | FW | ESP | David Fernández (on loan to Sevilla) |

#### Out on loan for the full season

Source:
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 27 | MF | ESP | Emilio Viqueira (on loan at Campomaiorense) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | FW | BRA | Renaldo (on loan at Corinthians) |

### Transfers
#### In

| # | Pos | Player | From | Notes |
| Summer |||||
| 5 | MF | Djalminha | Palmeiras | |
| 9 | FW | Luizão | Palmeiras | |
| 18 | FW | Salaheddine Bassir | Al Hilal SFC | |
| 19 | DF | Luis Miguel Ramis | Sevilla | |
| 25 | GK | Peter Rufai | Hércules | |
| Winter |||||
| 8 | MF | Mustapha Hadji | Sporting CP | |
| 11 | FW | Sergio Martínez | Boca Juniors | |
| 12 | MF | Lionel Scaloni | Estudiantes | 405 million Pta |
| 23 | FW | Sebastián Abreu | San Lorenzo | |
| 26 | FW | David Fernández | Sevilla | Loan return |

#### Out

| # | Pos | Player | To | Notes |
| Summer |||||
| 1 | GK | Petr Kouba | 1. FC Kaiserslautern | |
| 5 | DF | Miroslav Đukić | Valencia | Free |
| 11 | FW | Rivaldo | Barcelona | 4 billion Pta ($26 million) |
| 18 | FW | Txiki Begiristain | Urawa Red Diamonds | |
| 19 | DF | José Luis Ribera | Rayo Vallecano | |
| 21 | MF | Rafael Martín Vázquez | Atlético Celaya | |
| 22 | FW | Renaldo | Corinthians | Loan |
| 26 | FW | David Fernández | Sevilla | Loan |
| 27 | MF | Emilio Viqueira | Campomaiorense | Loan |
| Winter |||||
| 8 | MF | Corentin Martins | Strasbourg | |
| 9 | FW | Luizão | Vasco da Gama | |
| 15 | MF | Alfredo Santaelena | Sevilla | |
| 17 | DF | Nando | Sevilla | |
| 22 | FW | Mickaël Madar | Everton | Free |

### Statistics

Last updated on 14 April 2021.
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | La Liga | La Liga | Copa del Rey | Copa del Rey | UEFA Cup | UEFA Cup |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| 13 | GK | CMR | Jacques Songo'o | 36 | 0 | 31 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2 | DF | ESP | Armando Álvarez | 36 | 2 | 31+1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 4 | DF | MAR | Noureddine Naybet | 33 | 4 | 31 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 14 | DF | ESP | Paco Jémez | 34 | 0 | 28+1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 21 | DF | FRA | Jérôme Bonnissel | 33 | 0 | 26+1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 10 | MF | ESP | Fran | 40 | 4 | 35 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 6 | MF | BRA | Mauro Silva | 34 | 0 | 30+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 16 | MF | BRA | Flávio Conceição | 31 | 3 | 26+1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 20 | MF | ESP | Donato | 33 | 2 | 22+8 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | MF | BRA | Djalminha | 31 | 10 | 26 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 18 | FW | MAR | Salaheddine Bassir | 24 | 6 | 13+8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 25 | GK | NGA | Peter Rufai | 9 | 0 | 6+2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | MF | ARG | Lionel Scaloni | 22 | 2 | 18 | 2 | 3+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | POR | Hélder | 19 | 1 | 13+2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 23 | FW | URU | Sebastián Abreu | 18 | 4 | 12+3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | DF | ESP | Luis Miguel Ramis | 22 | 1 | 11+7 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | MF | MAR | Mustapha Hadji | 10 | 0 | 8+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | FW | ESP | Javier Manjarín | 8 | 0 | 7+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | DF | ESP | Pablo Pinillos | 9 | 0 | 4+3 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | FW | ESP | Maikel | 10 | 1 | 3+7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | FW | URU | Sergio Martínez | 6 | 0 | 1+2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | GK | ESP | Dani Mallo | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | DF | ESP | José Manuel Aira | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | FW | ESP | Deus | 8 | 0 | 0+5 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 |
| 31 | MF | ESP | Carlos Padín | 2 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | MF | ESP | Diego Pérez Míguez | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | DF | ESP | Toni | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | GK | POR | Nuno Espírito Santo | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | FW | VEN | Carlos García | 7 | 1 | 1+6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Players who have left the club after the start of the season: ||||||||||||
| 8 | MF | FRA | Corentin Martins | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | BRA | Luizão | 15 | 4 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 15 | MF | ESP | Alfredo Santaelena | 10 | 0 | 3+7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | DF | ESP | Nando | 9 | 0 | 6+3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | FW | FRA | Mickaël Madar | 7 | 3 | 3+4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | FW | ESP | David Fernández | 13 | 0 | 4+7 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

## Competitions
### La Liga
#### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 10 | Espanyol | 38 | 12 | 17 | 9 | 44 | 31 | +13 | 53 | Qualification for the Intertoto Cup second round |
| 11 | Valladolid | 38 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 36 | 47 | −11 | 50 | |
| 12 | Deportivo La Coruña | 38 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 44 | 46 | −2 | 49 | |
| 13 | Zaragoza | 38 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 45 | 53 | −8 | 48 | |
| 14 | Racing Santander | 38 | 12 | 9 | 17 | 46 | 55 | −9 | 45 | |
* ↑ RAC: 8 pts; SAL: 4 pts → SAL 2-0 TEN; TEN: 4 pts → TEN 2-0 SAL

#### Positions by round

| Team ╲ Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 |
| Deportivo La Coruña | 12 | 13 | 16 | 11 | 11 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 |
* Play-off relegation to 1998–99 Segunda División

#### Matches
### Copa del Rey

Win  Draw  Loss
| Round | Opponent | Aggregate | First leg | First leg | First leg | Second leg | Second leg | Second leg |
| Round | Opponent | Aggregate | Venue | Result | Ref | Venue | Result | Ref |
| Round of 16 | Osasuna | 3–1 | A | 1–0 | | H | 2–1 | |
| Quarter-finals | Deportivo Alavés | 1–3 | A | 1–3 | | H | 0–0 | |

### UEFA Cup
#### First round

Auxerre won 2–1 on aggregate