# 1996–97 Deportivo de La Coruña season

Deportivo La Coruña's 1996–97 season included its 32nd appearance in La Liga, where it ranked third place. Welsh manager John Toshack was replaced after 23 rounds by Brazilian head coach Carlos Alberto Silva.

## Summary

Deportivo placed third overall in La Liga finishing only below champions Real Madrid and runners-up FC Barcelona. Former Deportivo President Augusto César Lendoiro reached an agreement with Palmeiras for $7 million to acquire Rivaldo before the 1996 Olympic Games, instead of buying midfielder Amaral. On 10 February 1997 after the team was eliminated in Copa del Rey round of 16, Lendoiro fired John Toshack due to his interactions with club officials, players, and fans. The Welsh manager was replaced by the Palmeiras coach Carlos Alberto Silva. On 9 September 1996, Deportivo signed Brazilian midfielder Flávio Conceição from Palmeiras.

## Squad

Source: BdFútbol
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | CZE | Petr Kouba |
| 2 | DF | ESP | Armando Álvarez |
| 3 | DF | FRA | Jérôme Bonnissel |
| 4 | DF | MAR | Noureddine Naybet |
| 5 | DF | YUG | Miroslav Đukić |
| 6 | MF | BRA | Mauro Silva |
| 7 | FW | ESP | Javier Manjarín |
| 8 | MF | FRA | Corentin Martins |
| 9 | FW | FRA | Mickaël Madar |
| 10 | MF | ESP | Fran |
| 11 | FW | BRA | Rivaldo |
| 13 | GK | CMR | Jacques Songo'o |
| 14 | DF | ESP | Paco Jémez |
| 15 | MF | ESP | Alfredo Santaelena |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 16 | MF | BRA | Flávio Conceição |
| 17 | DF | ESP | Nando |
| 18 | FW | ESP | Aitor Begiristain |
| 20 | MF | BRA | Donato |
| 21 | MF | ESP | Martín Vázquez |
| 22 | FW | BRA | Renaldo |
| 22 | FW | POR | Hélder Cristóvão |
| 24 | GK | POR | Nuno |
| 25 | GK | ESP | Juan Canales |
| 26 | FW | ESP | David |
| 27 | MF | ESP | Emilio Viqueira |
| 28 | FW | ESP | José Luis Deus |
| 30 | FW | ESP | Maikel |

### Transfers

In :
| Pos. | Name | from | Type |
| FW | Rivaldo | Palmeiras | €12.0 million |
| GK | Jacques Songo'o | Metz FC | - |
| DF | Noureddine Naybet | Sporting Lisboa | |
| FW | Corentin Martins | AJ Auxerre | - |
| FW | Renaldo Lopes da Cruz | Atlético Mineiro | |
| GK | Petr Kouba | Sparta Praha | - |
| FW | Helder | Benfica | - |
| DF | Jérôme Bonnissel | Montpellier HSC | - |
| FW | Mickaël Madar | AS Monaco | - |
| MF | Flávio Conceição | Palmeiras | - |
Out :
| Pos. | Name | To | Type |
| FW | Bebeto | Flamengo | - |
| FW | Dmitri Radchenko | Sporting Gijón | - |
| GK | Francisco Liaño | Sporting Gijón | - |
| FW | Lopez Rekarte | RCD Mallorca | - |
| DF | Villarroya | Sporting Gijón | - |
| GK | Agustin Elduayen | Real Valladolid | - |

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

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Real Madrid (C) | 42 | 27 | 11 | 4 | 85 | 36 | +49 | 92 | Qualification for the Champions League group stage |
| 2 | Barcelona | 42 | 28 | 6 | 8 | 102 | 48 | +54 | 90 | Qualification for the Champions League second qualifying round |
| 3 | Deportivo La Coruña | 42 | 21 | 14 | 7 | 57 | 30 | +27 | 77 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 4 | Real Betis | 42 | 21 | 14 | 7 | 81 | 46 | +35 | 77 | Qualification for the Cup Winners' Cup first round |
| 5 | Atlético Madrid | 42 | 20 | 11 | 11 | 76 | 64 | +12 | 71 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
* 1 2 BET 1–2 DEP; DEP 3–0 BET
* ↑ Since Barcelona, winners of 1996–97 Copa del Rey, was qualified for the 1997–98 UEFA Champions League, losing cup finalists Real Betis earned a spot in the first round of the 1997–98 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.

#### Results by round

| 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 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 |
| Ground | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A |
| Result | D | D | W | W | W | D | W | W | D | W | W | D | D | W | W | W | D | L | D | D | L | L | D | D | W | W | W | W | W | W | D | W | L | W | W | W | D | D | L | L | L | W |
| Position | 13 | 15 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |

#### Matches
### Copa del Rey
#### Eightfinals
## Statistics
### Players Statistics

| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | La Liga | La Liga |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| 13 | GK | CMR | Jacques Songo'o | 37 | -28 | 36+1 | -28 |
| 2 | DF | ESP | Armando Álvarez | 38 | 1 | 38 | 1 |
| 4 | DF | MAR | Noureddine Naybet | 34 | 1 | 34 | 1 |
| 5 | DF | YUG | Miroslav Đukić | 29 | 0 | 27+2 | 0 |
| 17 | DF | ESP | Nando | 38 | 1 | 34+4 | 1 |
| 20 | MF | BRA | Donato | 39 | 3 | 33+6 | 3 |
| 8 | MF | FRA | Martins | 33 | 13 | 33 | 13 |
| 6 | MF | BRA | Mauro Silva | 32 | 0 | 32 | 0 |
| 11 | FW | BRA | Rivaldo | 41 | 21 | 41 | 21 |
| 22 | FW | BRA | Renaldo | 23 | 5 | 22+1 | 5 |
| 7 | FW | ESP | Javier Manjarín | 33 | 3 | 20+13 | 3 |
| 1 | GK | CZE | Petr Kouba | 4 | -2 | 4 | -2 |
| 10 | MF | ESP | Fran | 25 | 0 | 18+7 | 0 |
| 22 | FW | POR | Hélder Cristóvão | 22 | 0 | 17+5 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | FRA | Jérôme Bonnissel | 20 | 0 | 16+4 | 0 |
| 14 | DF | ESP | Paco Jémez | 19 | 0 | 17+2 | 0 |
| 25 | GK | ESP | Canales | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | FRA | Mickaël Madar | 17 | 3 | 14+3 | 3 |
| 15 | MF | ESP | Alfredo | 19 | 0 | 4+15 | 0 |
| 16 | MF | BRA | Flávio Conceição | 12 | 1 | 8+4 | 1 |
| 18 | FW | ESP | Aitor Begiristain | 10 | 2 | 4+6 | 2 |
| 21 | MF | ESP | Martín Vázquez | 12 | 2 | 1+11 | 2 |
| 26 | FW | ESP | David | 9 | 0 | 2+7 | 0 |
| 27 | MF | ESP | Viqueira | 7 | 0 | 1+6 | 0 |
| 28 | FW | ESP | Deus | 7 | 0 | 1+6 | 0 |
| 30 | FW | ESP | Maikel | 6 | 0 | 1+5 | 0 |
| 16 | DF | ESP | Voro | 3 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 |
| 24 | GK | POR | Nuno | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
* Source: