Jaogba Arrasate: "I feel Osasuna needs me and I feel I can help"

Jagoba Arrasate returned to El Sadar as head coach of Club Atlético Osasuna during his official presentation. First, he addressed the media in the press room alongside club president Luis Sabalza and sporting director José Antonio Prieto 'Cata.' He then greeted the fans on the field in the traditional manner for such events.

"It has been more than two years. I have spent several months now learning and recharging, and I have always said: when Osasuna needed me, and I feel I can contribute, it would answer the call. I received a call from Cata on Sunday, we met at night, and that's why I am here—because I believe in Osasuna. I believe you must always be grateful in life, and sometimes you must also be brave. Combining both things, here I am," Arrasate said. "It all comes down to feeling that Osasuna needs me and that I can help. It may be simple, but for me, it is already something very special," added the Basque coach, who has signed an agreement with the club through 2029.

He also spoke about his emotions upon returning to what had been his home for six seasons.

 "I don't know, it's hard to explain the feeling, but above all, it's joy. Joy because it was unexpected. In the summer, I had conversations with other teams. I was preparing myself and didn't know what my future would be, but it was very simple. I trust Cata, a lot. When I say a lot, I mean I worked six years with [former sporting director] Braulio [Vázquez] and Cata, but I spent many afternoons and hours in Tajonar with Cata, and I trust him deeply. We had a very sincere conversation, and I left feeling very convinced. You come home, and you feel a bit down, but also happy to return to a place where I have been happy, and I hope things go well again," Arrasate said.

The Osasuna coach explained what he will look for from a squad he partially knows, having worked with several players during his previous stint at El Sadar.

"Coming here at this moment could be considered a brave decision. I will not judge Osasuna until today; I will judge from today, based on what we do. I know the squad we have, I trust the squad, I know many players. It's true that some are injured, and when everyone is back, we will all be better—I will be better, Cata will be better, you will be better, and we need everyone. But if I am here, it is because I believe in the squad," the Rojillo gaffer said.

"Sixty or seventy percent of the squad already knows us, and I've already been at Tajonar with some, and they've told me they already know what to expect tomorrow. We have a training method, a methodology that is different—not better or worse—but it requires adaptation, and in that adaptation, we also have to be careful because the players may notice or feel that change. But we have come to implement our style, which you more or less know, and that starts in training. We need to implant that so that, most importantly, we can show it on Sundays," he added.

“Darko is going to be a very important figure for us,”

Jagoba Arrasate arrives at the Osasuna bench accompanied by Bittor Alkiza, Sergi Pérez and Pablo Iriarte, who were already members of his coaching staff in his previous spell with the club. Joining them is Darko Brašanac, a former Osasuna player who has decided to retire from playing to join Arrasate’s staff. Arrasate spoke about him during the presentation.

“These months allowed us to see everything in perspective, and we understood we needed to improve the staff—to have someone who can give us what Darko has. I spoke with him; he had doubts about continuing to play because he had just won promotion with Málaga and had some offers, but if you know Darko, you know he is demanding, ambitious and professional. He knows the squad and knows the club. I think he will be a very important figure for us, and he is very excited, too. I believe he will be a great addition,” Arrasate said.

Cata: “Jagoba is the coach that I, Cata, believe should come so that Osasuna improves and remains in the Primera División”

Osasuna sporting director José Antonio Prieto Castro, known as Cata, introduced the new coach and spoke before Arrasate’s remarks: “Jagoba is a legend of this club and my friend, but he is the coach that I, Cata, Osasuna’s sporting director, believe should come so Osasuna improves and remains in the first division, with his style of play, his management, and the mutual trust we share. I want to thank Jagoba for his immediate willingness to come. In our first meeting, we agreed in 40 or 50 seconds. ‘Coach, this is what I am looking for. Do you agree?’ ‘Yes.’ You look at the squad, and I think we need each other—Osasuna needs me, and I need Osasuna. The idea was not for this to be a short-term period, but rather to build the project of Luis, his board, and Cata as sporting director alongside Jagoba Arrasate.”

The top official in Osasuna’s sporting area also spoke about the difficulty of deciding to make a coaching change. “It’s a day of mixed feelings. I have been with the club for nine years, first as technical secretary and now as sporting director. We had never had to decide to change coaches before. I had to evaluate the team’s sporting situation and its direction, and I decided to make the change. On the other hand, I am happy for Jagoba’s return. It wasn't easy for me, because it was a complex decision, but I tried to make it with reflection, with reasoning, and always thinking about what was best for Osasuna. I think we all believe we need a spark to reactivate ourselves, and the ideal spark—my first choice—is the return of perhaps the best coach or one of the best coaches in Osasuna’s history,” he said.