Ezequiel Medrán leaves Colón: «I didn’t resign, I was sacked» | OneFootball

After Colón’s board decided to bring his spell as head coach to an end, Ezequiel Medrán went to the 4 de Junio training ground on Monday to say goodbye to the professional squad. After meeting with the players, the now former coach gave a lengthy press conference in which he explained how he found out about the decision, defended the work that had been done, and left a message of thanks to the club. Medrán revealed that the official communication came on Sunday night, after the 1-1 draw against Acassuso, and said that, despite the team’s form, he still believed they could fight until the end for promotion.

“I was convinced that we could fight until the end”

The coach explained that he received the call from the board while they were meeting to analyze whether the project would continue. “Yesterday in the late afternoon I got a call from Matías Vidoz. They told me they had made the decision to end the process and that there would be no continuation,” he said.

Far from agreeing with the decision, Medrán said he laid out his arguments before accepting the outcome. “I gave them my position. I was convinced that we were going through a moment we had to endure and that we had the ability to fight until the end. The decision had already been made and I accept it, although I don’t understand it,” he stated.

He even stressed that the team was still in a strong position in the standings. “We’re in a representative place in the table. We were third. Obviously, our ambition was much greater, but we believed we could keep growing,” he noted.

“I didn’t resign, they removed me from the position”

One of the strongest moments of the press conference came when he was asked about possible self-criticism. “I didn’t walk away. They removed me from the job,” he replied firmly.

Even so, he acknowledged that there are always things to correct. “There are always things to fix and improve. I take responsibility for everything related to the team’s performance. I always discussed internal matters with the board, the manager, and the squad. I’m never going to break those codes,” he stressed.

As for the reasons that led the board to make the decision, he avoided controversy. “I don’t know what led the board to decide this. You live in Santa Fe and perhaps you have more clarity about how everything was handled. I’m not going to focus on that,” he said.

Pride in Colón’s performance against Acassuso

Although the draw against Acassuso ended up being his last match in charge of the team, Medrán said he was satisfied with his players’ response. “I’m proud of how the team stood up for me on the pitch. They tried to win the match until the very end, despite everything that had happened during the week,” he said.

The coach acknowledged that the lead-up affected the team’s performance. “Feelings were created that are not the right ones for competing, but even so the team responded well,” he analyzed.

He defended the sporting project and the work with the youth ranks

Another key part of his farewell was related to the institutional project that he said he had promoted during nearly a year in charge of the club. “We didn’t work only for the first team. Club players made their debuts, we helped many youngsters develop, and more than 50 footballers came through our training sessions as sparring partners so we could continue monitoring their progress,” he explained.

He also highlighted the changes implemented in the professional structure. “Today the club has digitized physical data, medical reports, evaluations, and an institutional order that didn’t exist before. I think we left important foundations for the future,” he stated.

Whoever comes in will find a prepared squad

Before closing his press conference, Medrán said that the next coach would find a competitive team. “I have no doubt that the squad is ready to fight for important things. The coach who comes in will bring his own stamp, but he’ll find a group that is well prepared physically and professionally,” he said.

He also avoided blaming others for the lack of reinforcements in the last transfer window. “I don’t like looking for culprits. I always take responsibility for what is up to me. Everything that had to be discussed with the directors and the manager, we already discussed personally,” he pointed out.

A message of gratitude for the Colón family

In the final stretch of his farewell, Medrán put aside any differences and chose to be thankful. “I’m grateful to have been part of an institution as great as Colón. I enjoyed it passionately until the very last day,” he said.

He also had words for the club staff, employees, medical team, kit men, and fans. “I came to a club that was fighting relegation with the intention of getting it out of that situation and fighting for promotion. What hurts me most is not having been able to go all the way while trying to achieve that goal,” concluded a visibly emotional Medrán, hours after officially ending his spell as coach of the Sabalero side.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.