C.D. Leganés presented Imanol Idiakez as the head new coach for next season (2022/23). The Basque coach said he was happy to be joining the club after his time at Villarreal C.F., and hopes that, with the help of the fans, next season will be a beautiful one for all the 'pepineros'.
The president of C.D. Leganés, Jeff Luhnow, was in charge of opening the presentation: "Today we are living a very special moment. Imanol is a person who is going to be key to the club, the coach is the most important signing we are going to make. He is the one who is going to be the leader and the ideal person for this project".
"The decision of signing a coach is the most important and the most complicated"
During his intervention, sports director Txema Indias also wanted to welcome the new Blue and Whites' coach: "This is my eighth season at the club, and this morning we have experienced something very emotional. I'd like to thank Victoria, Felipe, Felipe Jr.... because we've been through some nice situations, but also some not so good ones. I want to thank Jeff and his working group for supporting the human group that exists in this club and for giving it continuity. The football clubs are there, but they are reflected in the people inside".
"The decision of the coach," he continued, "is the most complicated one, we know each other, once we have lived together and we have lived through good and bad situations. It is a very special day, to introduce a person I have already worked with, someone who made me grow in sports management... I am proud to work with him again. I want to thank Villarreal for the facilities they have given us, they were annoyed by Imanol's departure, but they were understanding about the situation. Welcome, Imanol, and thank you for taking this step, you were in a comfort zone with a coach of the highest level, but you have shown us that you wanted to come, that you are hungry and want to improve".
"We want our people to be proud, to see a brave team and feel excited"
Imanol Idiakez began by thanking the club for their confidence: "Thanks to Jeff and Txema, it's nice to start like this. I thank Villarreal and Unai Emery for their understanding and facilities. Thank you for backing me since they called me a few weeks ago. I'm excited and thrilled to be here, I'm where I want to be. We want to build something that the fans will be proud of, we are going to live 24 hours a day so that the fans feel proud of their team".
On his objectives, the San Sebastian coach assured that "we are going to propose something. Because of our way of understanding life, we are going to try to be protagonists, although the competition may or may not leave you. We want people to feel proud, we want them to see a brave team, that goes to the games, that they see that the players have made them vibrate. People pay a season ticket to watch their team and we have to make them feel excited about the team".
"We have to enjoy Leganes and we are going to make a team that is going to fight for our shirt and leave everything on the pitch"
For Idiakez, "the objective is for people to leave every week proud of their team. Talking about long-term objectives is a waste of time, we have to go game by game, have a good pre-season and not set ourselves limits. We have to get up every morning and do the best job possible so that Leganés can take advantage of it. There are some things that are more advanced, and I am absolutely sure that we have clear ideas and we are going to look for the best professionals in all areas. I could not have forgiven myself for not coming, I am where I want to be and I want this to be a success. Villarreal is a fabulous club, and there was only one place that could get me out of there. It just so happened that they called me and it's the dream of my life".
Finally, the Basque coach encouraged the fans to continue to support the team: "They should buy their season tickets, we're going to have a good time. I've been to this stadium in Segunda B many times, and the fans are special, they push the team a lot and there's a very good energy. We have to get it back, we have to enjoy Leganés and we're going to make a team that is going to fight for the shirt and leave everything on the pitch. The pandemic has taught us that there are other things in life, and we are going to try to enjoy it. The second division is a great league. We're going to make sacrifices, but we have to enjoy the journey.
