According to Sport, Las Palmas president Ramírez announced that Luis García will step down as head coach, with Rubén de la Barrera taking over the role.
Satisfied with the season
"We are very satisfied with our performance this season. The team performed even better than in the promotion year when we earned 72 points. This year we earned 73 points—every season is different. Unfortunately, these points were not enough for promotion. Our goal has always been to first avoid relegation, then fight for the play-offs, and finally aim for promotion.
For much of the season, we were in the direct promotion and play-off zones. If you analyze it, we were still joint leaders at the halfway point. Even if we had earned the same points in the second half as the first half, we would not have been promoted because 76 points would not have sufficed. It's difficult for a team to regain its level after relegation."
Luis García's departure
"I want to thank Luis García. He achieved the expected goals and performed well. After achieving promotion, we comprehensively evaluated various situations, considering internal and external factors, and concluded that parting ways was the best option. It is not true that Luis García agreed to terms and then refused to renew his contract.
Our decision to separate was always the most suitable option. In mid-March, we offered him a contract renewal, which he accepted, but we agreed to finalize the signing after the season ended. He was very disappointed that we could not achieve our goal. When someone feels they lack the strength to continue with such a demanding project, it is best to part ways. It is unfair for fans to think Luis García abandoned us; that is not the case. He and we jointly decided to end our cooperation. I hope he returns someday."
The separation was already being discussed
"We played Málaga on Wednesday and gathered on Friday to say goodbye to everyone. That day I asked Luis for his thoughts, and he asked me to give him until Tuesday to discuss it further. Between Tuesday and Friday, we communicated internally and finally decided to part ways. Luis García is a great coach, but the decision not to continue was not due to any extraordinary circumstances."
Rubén de la Barrera embodies the 'yellow style'
"We have appointed Rubén de la Barrera as our new head coach. We have been following him for many years. He led Deportivo La Coruña to avoid relegation in the Primera Federación and led both Albacete and Cultural Leonesa to promotion to the Segunda División. For those who question his suitability for Las Palmas, I remind you: when we brought in Setién, he was unemployed; Pimienta had never coached professional football before; I don't think Lobera had either; Luis García's only professional experience was with Espanyol, and he was even sacked there.
We need to demonstrate that we believe in people and their abilities. His assistant coach will be Álvaro Segundo. Luis Helguera has been recommending this coach to us for four or five years. He has strong personality and is very compatible with our system. Additionally, he knows our youth players well and truly understands them. Considering Rubén de la Barrera's time at Cultural Leonesa, even though that team was eventually relegated, many statistics from that point until season's end show he is an excellent coach, with several metrics even better than Las Palmas' performance."
AF's PC site is now live! Browse full news, comments, match details and stats on your computer. Visit: www.allfootballapp.com