Rubi breaks silence on Pulido saga: 'He's a player of integrity'
Almería manager addresses the ongoing transfer drama surrounding Huesca captain Jorge Pulido, who publicly announced his desire to leave immediately.
Almería boss Rubi has finally weighed in on the Jorge Pulido transfer saga after the Huesca captain publicly declared his time at the club over.
The Pulido situation
The drama kicked off yesterday when Pulido called his own press conference to announce he wants an immediate exit from Huesca. With Almería heavily linked, all eyes turned to Rubi ahead of Saturday’s clash with Mirandés.
When asked directly about signing Pulido during this transfer window, the gaffer played a straight bat:
“My responsibility is not to discuss players who aren’t here,” Rubi stated, though he acknowledged the elephant in the room by confirming that “the player has stated he’s signed with us for June 30th, and that’s reality.”
The situation highlights the awkward January limbo when players can sign pre-contracts with new clubs while still having months left with their current employers.
Character reference
Rubi, who clearly knows Pulido well, offered a telling character assessment when pushed on the captain’s decision to go public:
“We have to ask ourselves if we prefer having a player who we know has signed for another team when the season ends, or if we’d rather not know,” he reasoned.
“Do you prefer a player who’s signed elsewhere but is honest about it? Or one who says nothing while speculation swirls?”
The Catalan manager then delivered his most significant endorsement: that Pulido is “a professional of integrity” who would give his all whether at Huesca or Almería.
After this, Rubi shut down further questions on the topic with a firm “I won’t speak more about this.”
Arribas staying put?
In other transfer news, Rubi moved to calm fears about star player Sergio Arribas potentially leaving for Sporting Lisbon.
While careful not to make absolute guarantees in the unpredictable transfer market, he reassured supporters that the sporting directors haven’t mentioned even “the slightest rumour” about key players like Arribas departing this January.
For Almería fans, that’s a right Bobby Dazzler of an update as they look to continue their promotion push.