The Canaries’ top football side recorded a sixth consecutive loss at the weekend to put a sad seal on a disastrous season, culminating in relegation to the 2nd Division, but are looking forward to a morale-boosting trip to the United States in the coming days.
UD Las Palmas lost 2-0 at Español to bring the curtain down on a terrible year which has brought just two wins in manager Diego Martínez’s last 20 games in charge.
Martínez said in a very brief press conference after the game that the club “will communicate any news it needs to when the time comes”, in reference to speculation that he has already knows he will not be in the hot seat after June.
An indication of his imminent departure was his confirmation that he will not take charge of Las Palmas on a goodwill trip to the United States later this week to play San Antonio, as part of the celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the twinning of the Gran Canaria capital and the Texas city.
American fans expecting to see a Spanish premiership side take to the pitch in the Toyota Field on 31 May will be sorely disappointed as Martínez revealed that “only three of four players from the first team will travel”, although he played down the issue by insisting that the game is “an entirely different event for a specific purpose”.
Martínez departs with an unenviable record and under criticism from local fans and sporting media for ignoring the club’s academy players until the very last game when two were handed their debuts.
Las Palmas fans will not be reassured at growing speculation that the next manager, tasked with leading the Canarians back to the top flight quickly, is likely to be Miguel Angel Ramírez, who lasted just a few months at Zaragoza this season and was sacked after a run of one win in ten games in March.
Meanwhile CD Tenerife’s dismal season continued with defeat by Oviedo (0-1) I the side’s last game in front of its own fans at the Heliodoro Rodriguez stadium in Santa Cruz. Already relegated to the third tier next year, the islanders are expected to undergo a major overhaul during the summer, with many current players set to depart.
