RCD Mallorca have confirmed the much reported appointment of former Osasuna coach Jagoba Arrasate, after they decided not to renew Javier Aguirre’s deal.
The Mexican manager kept Mallorca up in each of his three campaigns, taking them to the Copa del Rey final this year, but Los Bermellones decided to move on from the veteran. In his place comes Arrasate, who leaves Osasuna after a successful six-year spell in Pamplona, where he finished first in Segunda, before a run of 10th, 11th, 10th, 7th and 11th, as well as their own trip to the Copa final last year.
#RCDMallorca have confirmed the appointment of Jagoba Arrasate as their new manager, replacing Javier Aguirre.pic.twitter.com/sbNaGY2PgY
— Football España (@footballespana_) June 10, 2024
Arrasate has signed on a three-year deal and has been charged with improving a side that has invested in Vedat Muriqi, Cyle Larin and Sergi Darder over the last two summers. The Basque manager is now into his third job in La Liga having started at Real Sociedad. It will be his first job outside of the North of Spain, having previously had a three-year spell at Numancia too.
Speaking to the club media, he made the following statements:
“I think all coaches are about challenges and projects. It’s something we say many times, but it’s not easy to find in professional football. And after this wonderful time in Osasuna, for which I am very grateful to all the people of Pamplona, now we undertake another challenge, another project, and I am very excited because that is what a coach wants: to build something.”
“I think Mallorca is an emerging club. The last few years have shown it. And above all because it offers me confidence, a project. I think that when I have had the chance to be with them, in the end what the coach likes is to feel wanted and they have transmitted to me that interest and that project as well. Timing is very important because I think that the three years give me room to be able to build something from something that I have been able to inherit, which is very good. And I’m not going to deceive you either, family is very important to me and we also understand that the family will be well in Mallorca.”
“I feel a little liberated. It is not easy, first, to give that news. Then to live with that news and then to make official where you are going to go. Once those times or that process occur, one feels liberated and eager to start. Fully involved in the preseason and planning, and when a coach immerses himself in those things he quickly gets excited again.”
“The first thing is to value the work of recent years. In this case, that of Javier Aguirre as well, since I believe that I inherit a consolidated team with a few years already in the First Division. And what I want to contribute is a bit of my nuance and my way of seeing football. I don’t think we will lack enthusiasm. I want a recognisable team. In previous years I have been able to achieve that and the idea is to do the same in Mallorca. A team that is already consolidated and that is already. a good team, to try to take it to higher places, knowing that it is difficult, but we are going with that hope.”
