The former coach of C.D. Leganés, Borja Jiménez, said goodbye to the fans and the club on Monday in a joint press conference at Butarque together with the club's president, Jeff Luhnow, and the Director of Football, Andrés Pardo.
Pardo opened the event by saying "thank you to the staff for the two months we have shared. A relegation is a very traumatic situation, we had a few hours of joint reflection and evaluating the situation of being able to continue, but both parties have agreed that it is best to separate our paths and put a period. I am very grateful to Borja, I hope he succeeds and that we can meet again, here or in any other club".
President Jeff Luhnow said, "This is an important day for the club. We are saying goodbye to our coach, a historic coach that we are saying goodbye to for now. I think we will cross paths again in the future. Borja has had two years here in which he has been very important in our history, but a Pepinero is leaving for good. At first I didn't know who he was, but I saw a list of available coaches, asked about him and he ended up in an interview. He entered the interview round and convinced me. I don't regret a moment of making that decision. We're going in different directions now, he did a tremendous job in these two years with Alex and we're very grateful for everything he's done. We will cherish those memories forever. During the second half of the season the important thing was that Borja felt the support of the club, that's why I said he was going to be our coach until the end of the season. The message from me was always one of appreciation and support".
"It's been a very exciting journey. I had to be honest, it was time for us to part ways."
For his part, Borja Jiménez began by saying that he was saying goodbye "to what has been my home for the last two years. I arrived to bring stability to the club and we are leaving with the feeling that we have done positive things so that the club has grown over the years. I don't want to leave out any thanks: the captains, you know what we have experienced and how important you are for the club; to my staff, thank you. It has been two years of great learning for all of us. We have enjoyed and competed very well and we have had a great time on this journey together."
"To my family, thank you, because they suffer and enjoy it. The feeling of the other day is complicated, but I'll keep the most beautiful gift that soccer has given me today, which is how the fans said goodbye to me after we were relegated. It's easy to evaluate success, but for me it's the most important title I've achieved in my career as a coach. Thanks to the journalists, to all the people at the club. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. It has been a very exciting journey. I had to be honest, it was time for us to go our separate ways. Now the important thing is for Leganés to return to the First Division, to be successful next year. You will have me for anything. I'm leaving with my head held high and my heart very full".
For the player from Avila, "a new project is starting, everyone needs to be focused on the same thing. We have had two very positive years, we have done things well, but we have also done things badly so as not to maintain the category. We are the team in Europe that has been relegated with the most points. It was the moment to separate our paths, people with a lot of strength are needed to renew the illusion with the players and the fans. It is more of a consensual decision and I think it is the best thing for everyone".
“The day of the promotion was unforgettable, but I'll remember the farewell from the fans after relegation.”
The coach assured that "Jeff has accompanied me in these two years. We have evolved, when we arrived we were one way and now we are a superior version. The experience you get from the matches, from living together with the players. We have had two different dressing rooms that have to be managed differently. You make mistakes, but it has taught me a lot of things. The day of the promotion was unforgettable, but I'll remember the other day. Feeling the affection of the fans, going around the stadium with all the fans applauding, speaks very well of the fans and we will always remember it".
Borja believes that "when you make decisions you do it believing that it is the best. We may have made mistakes, but I don't regret anything we have done. As a coach you always try to do everything for the good of the group. It has always been that way and it will continue to be that way. I am saying goodbye as I would like to. There are all the people who have accompanied me along the way, it's the farewell I wanted. We are convinced that it is a ‘see you soon’. Soccer has taught us once again what sport means, that there is always a winner and a loser. A year ago we won and this year we lost. That's what sport is, knowing that when you win you are the same person as when you lose, and that will never change."
“We have closed a very successful stage, I feel very honored to be part of the history of this club, which will soon be one hundred years old.”
About the season, he revealed that "there is a lot of difference between Segunda and Primera. This year has taught us a lot of things, the profile of the players is also completely different. What you have to do is try to improve, and we are all in this constant learning process. We have emptied ourselves inside to achieve the objective and for us all to be better than when we arrived in August. It's a decision we didn't make until the end, because we didn't know what category we could be in or other things. Although we have had some conversations in recent months, the moment was when the year was over".
As for his future, he stated that he does not believe "that today is the day to say where Borja is going. We have closed a very successful stage, I feel very honored to be part of the history of this club, which will soon be one hundred years old. It's time to stop, assess the different situations and decide".
Finally, he had his last words for the fans: "They are very passionate. They showed it the other day, they are there in good times and bad, and that is very difficult to achieve. When you lose it is much more difficult. I have experienced it firsthand and it is the greatest strength this club has, its people and how they perceive and treat the club. That makes the players feel loved and valued and want to come here".
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