Racing is not just promoted to Second Division, that is clear. 44 seasons in the First Division, 36, with the next one, in the Second Division, founder of the league, in 1929, and of LaLiga in 1984…, a full-fledged historic, but in reality he is a recent promotion. And one, moreover, that in its last three steps through what is now LaLiga Smartbank, 12/13, 14/15 and 19/20, it fell at the first change. From those experiences, and especially from the last one, in which the team ended up dragging through the category, 18 points from salvation, the top shareholders assure that they have taken good note.
The first decision made is the hiring of a sports director with experience in the Second Division. This season the team has been put together by the coach, Guillermo Fernández Romo, a specialist in Segunda B, but who has never worked in higher categories. The bronze market, after going through the Olimpic de Xátiva, Sabadell, Jumilla, Ejea, Cornellá and Racing, was supposed to dominate it, and the results have confirmed it. Alfredo Pérez and Pedro Ortiz, president and vice-president of the club and its main shareholders, however, want the construction of the Second Division team, together with Romo, which renews when the objective is met, is led by a specialist in the category.
The connection between Pablo Torre and Cedric has been fundamental. The African will continue, the Cantabrian goes to Barça.
Nacho Cubero (AS)
Three years ago, at the hands of Chuti Molina in the technical secretariat, Racing set up an excessively veteran squad and, with a low salary limit, one of the most modest in the category, which led it to not be competitive almost from the start exit. For the next season, the new sports director will have a suit with which he will be able to be more comfortable thanks to Pablo Torre. Thanks to not having Pablo Torre, more exactly. The transfer of Soto de la Marina to Barcelona has led to an income, fully attributable to next season, of five million euros that will increase the salary limit by just over four million. In other words, instead of being among the four lowest budgets in the 22 squad, as then, he could go, with that plus, to the middle squad.
Regarding the continuity of the heroes of the rise, Romo will be able to continue counting on the hard core of his gala eleven, although he will lose Pablo Torre, the best of all, and the Cameroonian winger Patrick Soko, another of the highlights, with whom a renewal agreement has not been reached and everything indicates that he has already signed for another Second team. Between 10 and 12 players will continue and many others will arrive in the transfer market.
Another of the problems to be solved by Racing is to overcome the audit that LaLiga is going to carry out in El Sardinero. The stadium is in need of a good reform, urgent in the case of the complete replacement of the lighting, but the administrative situation of the stadium, owned by the City Council, but ceded indefinitely and exclusively to Racing, makes any investment in the stadium a tremendous mess. The Municipal Intervention of the Santander City Council opposes any expenditure there since it considers the agreement that unites the club and the municipality for the transfer and use of the stadium since its construction in the eighties to be illegal from the outset. In any case, Racing will receive around four million euros of loan from LaLiga, corresponding to the agreement with CVC, which will have to use 85% for improvements in sports facilities and digitization.
The coach, Romo, flanked by Pedro Ortiz and Alfredo Pérez, the top shareholders.
Nacho Cubero (AS)