At first glance, Ángel Saiz’s departure from CD Leganés Futsal might seem like a result of poor sporting performance, but there is much more to the story. Saiz, the former coach of the club’s first women’s futsal team, did not leave due to results but because of the club management’s actions. “I had never experienced anything like this before,” Saiz said.
After a season ending in scandal over unpaid player salaries, the club aimed to clean up its image and offered Saiz the coaching role for the new season. Having previously coached the men’s first team, he decided to return, reassured by the club’s promise to resolve the salary issues. Saiz warned the club about the financial strain of recruiting foreign players, given that Spanish players were unlikely to join due to the previous season’s issues.
the importance of timely payments
Saiz repeatedly stressed the importance of timely payments to the management, but his warnings went unheeded. “Once the season started, it was one issue after another, with missed payments and constant struggles to get the players paid,” he said. Neither players, coaches, nor technical staff received their dues, and the club management remained unresponsive and evasive.
Despite Saiz’s efforts to improve the team’s standing and the club’s image, the mismanagement continued. Preseason started with only Spanish players present, as the foreign recruits were delayed due to the club’s negligence. Saiz described the situation as devastating and unprecedented in his 30-year career.
Players, especially those from abroad, faced severe hardships, living in poor conditions without adequate financial support. Saiz and others filed a 39-page document with local authorities, detailing issues such as delayed payments, lack of social security registration, and falsified coaching credentials. Despite these efforts, there has been no response from the authorities, and senior club officials remain silent.
Saiz’s departure was ultimately driven by the club’s persistent failures and the broken promises to players. He left not out of choice but necessity, unable to continue under such conditions. His experience sheds light on the broader issues within the club’s management and their impact on both players and staff.