Elche have been rocked by the shock news that mnager Eder Sarabia has resigned from his post. Los Franjiverdes survived on the final day of the season with a 1-1 draw away to Girona, maintaining their La Liga status, but Sarabia appears to be stepping away for personal reasons.
It was a successful season for Elche, who stayed up despite one of the lower budgets in La Liga. After a promising start and playing an attractive style, Sarabia was one of the more fashionable managers in Spain in the first half of the year. Their form levelled out thereafter, but Elche managed to secure sufficient results to keep themselves in LaLiga.
Eder Sarabia: “It’s a very demanding profession”
Sarabia told the media in an emotional press conference that there were no issues with the hierarchy at the club, and that his decision was purely personal.
“My goal today is for you to understand the reasons. We have lived through two incredible years. I always remember the first day and one word: be clear. I have nothing but eternal gratitude toward the club,” he told Marca.
“We came with a dream, and we have achieved very significant things. The Martinez Valero is now one of the best stadiums in the First Division. None of this would have been possible without the spectacular group we have had over these two seasons.”
He would then go on to explain that he would not be taking up another job for a few months at least, as he tries to dedicate more time to his family.
“It is a very demanding profession, and you end up neglecting other important things – your family, your children (we have two young kids), and my relationship with my wife, which I would like to see improve… Professionally, I have a great deal to improve upon and learn. It is time to pause; we won’t be coaching for the time being. We are going to take a few months off, and from there, we will prepare ourselves to attend to other needs that are fundamental. The coaching profession takes a physical toll on you and strains your relationships; there are aspects of our lives that we want to nurture. My wife and I made this decision on Sunday, and it was reached with calmness, clarity, and full awareness.”
Sarabia’s spell at Elche
Sarabia arrived at Elche following a largely successful spell at Andorra, where he got them promoted to Segunda and then kept them there. In his first season at Elche, he got Los Franjiverdes promoted as champions, before keeping them up this season. His reputation will only have grown from his spell at Elche, and the chances are he will have offers in La Liga once he does decide to return to management.
