Rayo Vallecano’s President, Raul Martin Presa, has officially announced that manager Inigo Perez will be departing the club at the end of the current season. Perez’s contract is set to expire, concluding a period during which he led Rayo to their first-ever European final in the Conference League and secured two consecutive 8th-place finishes in the league.
Following the team’s 1-0 defeat against Crystal Palace in Leipzig, which appears to have been his final match, Perez seemed emotional. He had previously twice declined to discuss his future, stating it was “not the right moment.” However, reports from Diario AS shortly after the match indicated that Perez would not be continuing with the club.
Speaking to Marca, President Raul Martin Presa confirmed that Perez would be leaving after a two-and-a-half-year spell in charge at Vallecas. “I’m not sure who will coach the team next year,” Presa stated after the final. “He’s a great coach and a good person, but I would have liked him to stay for life, and I told him so. I wanted a project similar to Simeone’s at Atletico Madrid, but the club and the badge come before everyone, and decisions have to be made.”
Prior to the final, Sporting Director David Cobeno had commented that the club had not yet begun searching for a new coach but acknowledged that retaining Perez would be “difficult.”
Villarreal Poised to Appoint Perez
In recent months, numerous sources have suggested that Perez is likely to join Villarreal this summer. While no formal agreement has been signed, a deal has reportedly been in place for several weeks, if not months. Barring any unexpected developments, he is expected to manage at La Ceramica next season. This move would see Perez transition to a team that regularly competes in European competitions and potentially lead them into the Champions League in only his fourth season as a manager.
