Sellés has a pop at Zaragoza fans, but the gaffer's barking up the wrong tree
Real Zaragoza's manager blaming supporters after another dire result is well out of order when the real issues lie with ownership and recruitment.
After 13 years stuck in Segunda and a dismal run of form, Zaragoza boss Rubén Sellés has chosen the worst possible moment to have a go at the supporters.
Pointing fingers in all the wrong places
One win in ten games. Relegation form. And what does Sellés do after the disappointing draw against Cultural Leonesa? Turns on the travelling fans for not giving his side a proper welcome. Absolute madness!
The gaffer had the cheek to say he “expected a step forward from the fans” and was surprised by the “lukewarm reception” from those who made the journey. Sorry mate, but after 13 years in the second tier and four seasons of footballing misery under new ownership, perhaps asking for more from the supporters is a bit rich.
Fans aren’t the problem here - they’re absolutely cream-crackered from watching a team that can’t buy a win, but they still turn up week after week.
The real culprits
If Sellés wants to point fingers, he might want to look at:
- The club’s ownership who seem completely unbothered about on-pitch matters
- His own failure to push for reinforcements from January 1st (only speaking up after the Albacete defeat)
- A recruitment strategy that’s left the team with no cutting edge
The sporting director Txema Indias brought in six signings at the death, but none have solved Zaragoza’s critical issue: they simply can’t score goals. No quality, no punch, no aerial presence for set-pieces.
Mixed messages
Sellés publicly claimed he didn’t want a “revolution” in January, insisting he trusted his squad. But his actions since tell a different story:
- El Yamiq immediately showed up the existing centre-backs
- Larios has claimed the left-back spot
- Mensah, Cumic and Rober are now fixtures in the team
- Meanwhile, Agada’s purpose remains a complete mystery
Where are the owners?
The elephant in the room is Zaragoza’s absent ownership. Local whispers that they only bought the club to build the new Romareda stadium without caring about results are starting to ring true.
If relegation does happen, they’ll go down as the architects of the darkest chapter in the history of this storied club. A historic institution with a massive fanbase deserves better than owners who’ve failed spectacularly to build a credible project.