Four days after learning of his departure from the club at the end of the season, Jonatan Giráldez has confirmed his farewell to the press and wanted to explain the reasons why he will put an end to his adventure at FC Barcelona at the end of his third season at the helm of the club. equipment.
A few days ago he received an offer from abroad: “I wanted to be transparent and I informed the club. “I asked them for a few days to think about it.” After accepting it, he told part of the board: “There were only four people who knew: my wife, Marc Vivés, Xavier Budó and Xavi Puig, and by extension, the president.”
“It bothered me that it was leaked because it didn’t allow me to do things in the order I would have liked,” he said in a speech lasting just under ten minutes in which he explained how his departure from the club came about.
These leaks forced the coach to react: “On Thursday night I was clear that I had to show my face. I gathered the players and explained to them what I explained to you today. I wanted there to be no doubts and for everything to be clear.” .
Giráldez has stressed that his intention has always been to “be very transparent” and that by communicating it so far in advance he wanted to “allow the club to organize itself with as much time as possible.” “I wanted to avoid that when March or April arrived, the months in which we risk everything, the focus was on me. I think doing it that way helped the club.”
Giráldez has assured that his decision is not driven by economic reasons, that the offer that Barça had made him “was very attractive” and that he does not feel “worn at all.” “If I left for money, I would have left sooner. I value many other things at the family level, professional concerns, growth… ” “The club’s offer was up to par, it was very attractive and I felt that I was valued,” he said before explaining that Joan Laporta himself asked him to remain at the club until the end of his term.
The Galician coach had already started talks with the board to renew. His conditions were closed but those of his staff also needed to be specified. As in his last renewal, Giráldez wanted his entire coaching staff to be guaranteed his continuity before signing. It is at this impasse that the offer from abroad arrives. “I had never considered leaving Barça. I was not looking for a team, I was very good, very calm with the decision I had made to continue. My intention was not to blackmail or seek to improve my conditions. It is a family and personal decision.”
Regarding his future, which points to an American NWSL team, he only wanted to reveal that “it will not be in Europe” out of respect for FC Barcelona, ??”not competing against Barça was important for me” and he did not want to clarify whether his staff leaves with him or will remain at the club.
With his goodbye and that of Markel Zubizarreta, the future of one of the club’s most successful teams remains up in the air. The economic situation does not help either and there are important renovations to be closed, such as that of Alexia Putellas. “I don’t think it will affect the pending renovations,” said Giráldez, who believes that “the shield is above the people.” “I am convinced that it will continue to be a world reference. The project is continuous,” he assured.