José Riestra (Sporting) warns: if they don’t go up, Orlegi leaves

Sporting’s executive president José Riestra made a high-stakes promise: if the club doesn’t secure promotion to LaLiga, the Orlegi group would leave. He said it in an interview on the Arquitectos - LaLiga podcast after Sporting’s loss in the Asturian derby.

Pressure tied to promotion

Riestra added that the commitment was made “a couple of months ago as a group” and that if they don’t achieve promotion, “we’d go ourselves.” The president also underlined that the goal has been pursued for a decade, and since Orlegi arrived in Gijón they’ve only been close once, five seasons ago.

Mid-table after the derby

After surpassing matchday seven, Sporting sits mid-table with 10 of the 18 possible points. Following the defeat, Riestra called for patience and backed Nicolás Larcamón as the coach he believes can help deliver promotion.