Today marks 95 days since Felipe Miñambres returned to the Island. His return, to join the board of directors of CD Tenerife, represented the comeback of one of the most charismatic emblems in the club’s blue-and-white history. 357 official matches and 40 goals over ten seasons, always in the top tier of Spanish football, belong to the résumé of the former international from Astorga, who has held the presidential seat of the representative entity since June 3rd. His return has been a return to his roots. At Tenerife, he established himself as a standout attacker on a national level, which opened the doors to the Spanish national team and the World Cup held in the USA in 1994. Five years later, he hung up his boots in the Heliodoro dressing room and transitioned to the role of coach. He was one of four managers who oversaw Tenerife in the 99/2000 season in the Second Division. His illustrious career also includes various coaching positions and sporting management at institutions such as Celta de Vigo and Levante. However, with the Levante entity, he did not find a mutual point to extend his stay in the Valencian city. Rayco García, the second-largest shareholder of CD Tenerife, saw the opportunity and eagerly pursued his hiring. The idea was for him to initially take on the role of advisor, later combining it with that of general director. Internal conflicts that have emerged within the club’s highest governing body have placed him at the forefront of the institution. Almost one hundred days since his return have yielded much, which he reflects on in DIARIO DE AVISOS.
-What is your assessment of your return to the Island?
“The truth is that I am very happy to have returned. Generally speaking, it has been much more positive than negative, and I only have words of gratitude for everyone who welcomed me. People treat me well, receive me warmly, and speak to me kindly. For me, it’s a joy and a satisfaction. I am very happy to be back, to enjoy the Island. My children come to see me and enjoy things they experienced when they were very young. I go to work each day with joy, because at this moment, going to work brings me joy.”
-Life sometimes leads one down unexpected paths. Your return to Tenerife is a prime example of this.
“I had a contract for two more seasons, so I thought I was going to stay there. Things were going well, as we were in a promotion dynamic, but there’s a decision, and I, for better or worse, am not one to create difficulties. When people are comfortable with me and we feel good, I work well, and if that changes at any moment, as it did in this case, I am not a difficult person to reach agreements with. So, immediately, Rayco’s call came a couple of days later. I met with him in Madrid and spent a lot of time talking with him. All that process led to this, returning to the Island, and I’m happy with that decision. It’s true that I had opportunities to be a sporting director at Second Division clubs, but I wanted to be here much more at this moment.”
-Has the club been better or worse than you expected?
“Better in some aspects. The sports city is spectacular. It’s a joy to go there. It’s a joy to see all the boys and girls training, the EDI, everyone. It’s a joy to see those facilities. However, I found the financial situation to be pretty much what I expected and what I had been told, but well, I’m not one to look back too much. This is how it is, and lamenting won’t achieve anything. What we need to do is work on improving it, solving problems, and creating a stable and solvent club.”
-After the recent general assembly, will there be institutional peace that allows you to work?
“From our side, yes, but that corresponds to two groups, and I can’t speak for the other side. We would like them to let us make mistakes and get things right. One day we will get it right, we will make mistakes on two days, we will achieve success one day, and experience failure another; that’s what football is all about. Running such a large institution is complicated, and I’m sure we will make mistakes, but I am clear that we will achieve a stable club without dependency on third parties.”
-Is there an agreement between Garrido and Rayco to achieve that institutional peace?
“I don’t know about that. Rayco has certain obligations as a director and as a shareholder. What I always say to him is that I hope he has everything under control so that I can focus on my work. When I speak with Antonio Porro, I tell him the same: ‘I hope you have this under control,’ so each of us has a series of areas we need to oversee to be, as I said, a club. In the meeting, I was aware of the shares I held, which were three, but I’m also very happy with the people who went to the club to delegate their shares to me. For me, it was a joy that, without asking for anything, there were people who let me hold their shares. So, I knew what I had, but I don’t know how the others are moving. Rayco has to try to manage that so we can have peace of mind.”
-In that meeting, it was mentioned that the club is in the black. How has the delicate financial situation been turned around?
“We are in the process of becoming a stable team. We still need time to achieve the stability we desire. We have made a series of decisions and actions to be able to pay all players and meet the necessary payments. Now, it is about not making this a one-month, two-month, three-month, four-month, or five-month issue but to be a stable club throughout the season, which is what is complicated. There will surely be sales, sponsorships, and other revenues that need to come in. That is our goal, which will not be easy and isn’t easy, but we want to achieve it and believe we have the potential to do so, though it won’t be an easy journey from here until the end of this season.”
-Have you considered the possibility of requesting an ERE or an ERTE?
“We are here to create as few problems as possible for all workers and to try to solve issues. Some we will be able to address, others we won’t. We know we have to make decisions that are not easy because of the category we are in, but we will try to do the least damage possible and harm as few people as we can.”
-On the sporting side, it seems you are signing all first options.
“A few players who have called me have said that if certain Second Division teams approach, they would join them, but if others come, they might consider our option. I believe the sporting management is doing a good job, but that needs to be seen on the pitch. Things happen quickly, but we are not in a rush. We are CD Tenerife, and the players from Segunda A haven’t started dropping yet, which they will, and we will be one of the first safe places they will call. But all that needs to be demonstrated later on the pitch; we are on the right path with our sporting plans.”
-Is Cris Montes the next one?
“Well, there are several. I believe there are a couple or three very close to finalising agreements, but in some we need to wait longer, in others less; but there are advanced discussions, and we will wait on two or three positions.”
-And is there an agreement with Gallego?
“Well, let’s see, it’s a decision he has to make. Tenerife has already put everything on the table for him.”
-Has it struck you as strange that after descending from Second to Primera RFEF, fans, institutions, and businesses remain the same, or even more, involved with the club?
“For me, it’s a joy and pleasant to see how supporters, public and private sponsors remain engaged with the club and are trying to help us. The community has also come together. I think it’s been a sweet descent due to Álvaro’s arrival. It changed the dynamic, how the team was perceived; there were hints of different things. There were moments when we could have clung to safety, but certain factors hindered us. I think the fans felt a bit upset and offended because these were issues that happened in quick succession during matches and saw a change in attitude in the play and the players. I believe that Álvaro’s arrival and Rober, the coaching staff overall, provided what made everything a bit more manageable. A series of circumstances have also come together that we must take advantage of. That’s why we launched the season ticket campaign earlier to leverage that momentum from the end of the previous season. For me, as I always say, it’s a joy to knock on doors and have them opened instead of closed. New doors have opened for us with new sponsors.”
-What role will the academy play in the upcoming season?
“We know that this is not a job that can be done in a day. We need time for the work to show results. There are indeed players who have been developed well and are close, even some who are already in the first team. But we want to change things a bit. We are not so concerned about the level of the B team but rather about producing players who are prepared. Everyone has their philosophy—neither better nor worse. We believe that most players should be under a certain age so they can move up and down as needed. That doesn’t mean there can’t be exceptions, but we prefer for them to make mistakes and be young since we have more time to learn from those errors and improve. We want them to have the chance to make mistakes, play, experience tough times, and have bad days. Now we are in Primera RFEF, but even if we were in Segunda, I am more interested in bringing players up and ensuring they are ready for the first team. I care much more about that—developing players—because when someone goes to scout players, the first thing they look at is the age. When I was a sporting director and wanted to sign a player for Levante, the first thing I checked was their age. We must get the most out of signings and maximise our academy, the sports city, and the people who work within it.”
-But if the B team is in Segunda RFEF and now the first team is in Primera RFEF, the leap the academy players need to make is shorter.
“That’s what people say, but I don’t believe in that. I moved from Tercera to Primera. I believe in the capabilities of the players. Isco and Mata moved from Tercera to Primera. At Rayo, I promoted more players from Tercera to Primera than from Segunda B to Primera. It has a lot to do with the player’s ability and quality. If they are very good, they will adapt quickly, regardless of whether they are in Tercera, Segunda, Primera RFEF, or the top division. Good players adapt quickly, as they are good at everything—thinking fast, executing well, technically sound. Not everyone has the capacity for the process to be as swift. Some may need a slower process, but they will arrive. However, it’s much more to do with individual qualities than the category they’re in. That’s my belief, and wherever I have been, that has been the case.”
