Goodbye Stranger

Director of football Sergio Fernandez has quit the club after meeting with the owners yesterday. I can't really say this is any surprise, as the press have been full of the fact he had an offer from Hercules Alicante - a club where he was captain and played for many years.

It's just a pity that it comes just 48 hours after promotion - and after stating last week that he would always be at Real Murcia as long as the club wanted him. In reality I think we has just saying the right thing so as not to rock the boat on such an important week. Hurcules have offered him full control....something Real Murcia rightly were not willing to give him.

His time at the club has been chequered. The first time I saw him as a player, in a friendly at Cieza....after some rather pathetic handbags stuff with an opposition player, at a corner he brutally elbowed the same player, leaving him bloodied and I think minus a tooth or two. A low level regional player in a friendly. Then he was part of the team which inexplicably managed to concede late goal after late goal and were ultimately relegated to segunda B.....although I have to say you could never fault him for effort.

After the relegation he retired from playing, and was given the position of director of football....the names he proposed bringing in were uninspiring to say the least, and things only really seemed to come together once Iñaki Alonso was confirmed as coach. I'm not sure how much of a loss this is, we'll have to wait and see who the club bring in to the position. What is really annoying is that he seems to have used Real Murcia - and at his first chance has left us for one of our biggest historical rivals. Will all the work and plans, paid for by Real Murcia, see Hercules benefit? So I can't wish him any luck....in fact....I hope he fails miserably! We need to get a "one club" man in...who won't bugger off as soon as they get a better offer.

Now the focus is on Iñaki Alonso. before Sergio's departure was announced, he said in a radio interview that "I'm a person taht likes projects...and Sergio and I are a team, and we have done well. If he goes it would mean I would have to think about things". As is his trademark, owner Jesus Samper will not be rushed - the has other businesses to attend to, and will not change his schedule to negotiate with Alonso. Will the manager be patient? He also said yesterday that he had always "respected the rhythms and timings of the club owners, who transmit tranquility" and that it was time to "sit down and see if we can all contuinue together". Sergio's departure, added to the fact that Alonso has firm offers from Numancia and Nastic Tarragona.....make me think that maybe Samper's "tranquility" and refusal to move quickly or alter his agenda.....may end up leaving us with our pants down and looking very very foolish.