José Antonio Prieto 'Cata': "I want fans to be proud of what we represent and what we do"

Club Atlético Osasuna introduced its new sporting director, José Antonio Prieto 'Cata', at an event attended by club president Luis Sabalza. The new head of the sports department outlined the main principles of his approach.

“I will try to be consistent with who I am as a person—normal, coherent, analytical, and reflective. Of course, there will be changes. I have been very involved in decision-making, both good and bad, but the final decision always belonged to Braulio. My idea is to stay normal and coherent, following the club’s guidelines of sporting and economic consistency for an exciting and dynamic project.”

 The club must remain at zero risk of becoming a public limited sports company (SAD). Osasuna’s members, who own the club, should feel secure. The fans should be proud of what we represent and what we do, with a sporting project that, above all, ensures the team remains in La Liga, applying sporting and financial common sense,” he said.

He was also asked by the media whether the sports management would follow a similar path as before.

 “We all have our own nuances. I was very comfortable with the space Braulio gave me. I felt involved in both successes and failures, but we are all different. The club’s sporting and economic consistency gives me the stability to focus on sports in July instead of worrying about whether a player can be registered. Osasuna is a club with financial limitations, of course, but we also have reliability and a project.”

People respect us—when you negotiate a contract, no one questions payment terms. Other clubs may be able to pay more, but we need to grow from our true strengths. I am quite optimistic about that. We must enhance the identification of our strengths and build from there. We are not the same; we have converged on many occasions, but I am different from Braulio. No two people are alike, and Braulio leaves an extraordinary legacy here,” he said.

He also responded to whether he envisions a long tenure as Osasuna’s sporting director.

“If I didn’t see myself here, I wouldn’t be here. I feel mature on a personal and professional level. If I may share an anecdote, when I was about to come here, I had only worked three years as academy director at Pucela and received an offer from a second division team. Braulio told me working with youth is not the same as professional football and that I needed an intermediate step—advice that has proven invaluable. It’s not just about knowing players; it’s about experience, ability and the training process to become a sporting director. At that time, I probably wasn’t ready. Now, I consider myself personally, professionally and emotionally mature for this responsibility,” he said.

"I felt involved in both successes and failures, but we are all different"

Along the same lines, he looked back on his beginnings in grassroots football.

“I have always tried to educate myself and gain knowledge, but it’s not just me—there are many well-prepared people in grassroots football, in the trenches. Some of us are lucky enough to have someone believe in us along the way. When Braulio gave me my first opportunity in Valladolid, I was thrilled, and from there, hard work and education followed. I am persistent about training because in every aspect of life, being prepared makes success more likely.”

 We all need someone in life to take a chance on us. I had that luck, and I have tried to repay that faith with loyalty and hard work. Of course, when you coach youth teams and then reach Tercera, it seems amazing to work as an analyst in a Segunda B team. Later, you move up to a second division team as academy director, and that brings you closer. I think it’s a process, and we’ve taken the right steps to get here. Now, at 54, I am at my personal and professional peak,” he said.

In his introduction, Cata also offered his perspective on the academy.

 “Obviously, separating Osasuna from its youth academy is unnatural. We have managed the first team and Promesas and started the project, although it now depends on Tajonar and Subiza. This year, we were relegated to Segunda RFEF, a less demanding category, but we have all our local boys.”

 That’s not just because of the level of competition but also thanks to the good work by Ángel (Alcalde) and Patxi (Puñal), who ensured we have 20 or 22 players we consider enough to compete and support our potential players. I think it must be bidirectional, from the bottom up and top down,” he said.

sabalza: "That confidence is based not just on belief, which I have, but also on many experiences"

Club president Luis Sabalza explained the decision to appoint Cata as the new sporting director.

“Although the news of Braulio’s departure was unexpected, the decision for Cata to become our next sporting director was clear for a long time. I am very happy with the decision and at ease—the peace that comes from complete confidence. That confidence is based not just on belief, which I have, but also on many experiences. Honestly, I think our sporting project is in the best hands,” he said.