CD Tenerife: 73,000 km of Wear and Tear in Liga Hypermotion

Physical trainer Raúl Siles details the logistical and physical challenges of island status for the club in the new season.

Generic image of a football on the grass with the goal blurred in the background.
IA

Generic image of a football on the grass with the goal blurred in the background.

CD Tenerife is preparing to face the 2026/27 season in Liga Hypermotion, confronting an unprecedented logistical and physical challenge with approximately 73,000 kilometers of travel.

The new season in Liga Hypermotion presents a significant challenge for Club Deportivo Tenerife, which will have to cover around 73,000 kilometers in its away games, exceeding the distance covered in the previous Primera Federación season by 6,000 kilometers. Physical trainer Raúl Siles has analyzed the implications of this demand.
Siles emphasizes that being an island team represents a significant "handicap," directly affecting the players' rest time. He highlights the need for thorough planning, including nutrition, training load management, and optimized post-match recovery to maintain performance.

"It's a handicap we have being on an island"

Raúl Siles · Physical Trainer
Squad management becomes crucial given the increase in travel. The trainer advocates for implementing "rotations" and having a "solid" squad to ensure the team can compete in every match with maximum player availability and a high level of fitness.
The physical trainer, with previous experience alongside players like Alassan and Cristo González, illustrates the difficulty of the journeys with the striker's experience. Siles mentions that González shared the challenges of traveling on the island, which often involve "several layovers" and long bus journeys, in addition to flights.

"The bad thing about being on the islands is that they have several layovers"

Raúl Siles · Physical Trainer
This situation contrasts with that of mainland teams. Siles recounts how Cristo González described the need to take a five-hour bus ride after playing a match, a circumstance not faced by their continental rivals. Despite the players' professionalism and resources, the trainer emphasizes that "they are human, not robots."
Logistics acquire paramount importance. Siles insists on the relevance of "arriving at the match venue as soon as possible to adapt and avoid the strain of playing immediately after landing." He concludes that this disadvantage "plays tricks on island teams."