In Gijón, where the push back towards Spain’s top flight remains the measure of every season, Sporting’s early stumble has brought a blunt promise from the executive leading the club’s sporting project. José Riestra has said that he and the people responsible for the football operation will step aside if the Asturian side do not win promotion to LaLiga.
The declaration follows a difficult opening to the Segunda División campaign, including a 2-0 defeat to local rivals Real Oviedo in the Asturian derby. Sporting have made their return to the top division the central target of the Orlegi Group project, and Riestra has insisted that those running the sporting side accept personal responsibility for delivering it.
Speaking on the Arquitectos – LaLiga podcast, Riestra said the commitment had been agreed months ago. “If we did not achieve promotion, we would leave,” he explained, while maintaining that the objective has not changed after the derby loss.
A five-year project under pressure
Orlegi’s plan for Sporting is designed around a five-year horizon, with promotion to LaLiga among its principal aims. Riestra’s words do not mean that Orlegi Sports have announced an intention to sell or withdraw from the club. Instead, the executive has indicated that he would place his own position at the club’s disposal should Sporting fail to reach the promised sporting outcome.
There is still considerable distance to cover in the campaign. After seven rounds, Sporting sit 12th in LaLiga Hypermotion on 10 points, having won three matches, drawn one and lost three.
The division’s first two teams gain automatic promotion, while clubs finishing from third through sixth enter the play-offs for the remaining place in the top tier. Sporting therefore retain more than one route towards LaLiga, despite an uneven start in Asturias.
Riestra has also continued to back Nicolás Larcamón, the Argentine coach chosen to guide the promotion attempt. He has highlighted Larcamón’s experience in Venezuela, Chile, Brazil and Mexico, as well as his willingness to work through problems and make corrections.
For now, the project remains in Larcamón’s hands and the season remains open. But Riestra has made the consequence of failure unmistakable: Sporting’s results over the coming months will determine whether the current sporting leadership remains in place in Gijón.
