With Luis Castillo stepping down from the helm at Hercules, the club openly begins weighing fresh candidates for the top job. For now, Carlos Parodi continues to carry out the same duties the organization has long performed from its offices. It also became clear that Enrique Ortiz would stay on as president if a new leader is not chosen in the coming weeks, with trust placed in a candidate who can steady the club through this transitional phase.
Following a season that went off the rails, leaving Hercules seventh in the fourth tier of Spanish football, the Alicante club faces a broad restructuring across every department. With less than two months until preseason, Hercules confronts a pivotal challenge. The mood among supporters is tense after years of disappointment and poor results. There is an urgent need for changes in every corner of the institution, which has carried the weight of mediocrity and persistent troubles.
The only name to surface from the sports commission was Subiras. It remains to be seen whether he will join as a consultant or take on a more central role. Paco Peña will stay on as a member of the commission, charged with laying out the framework for the new staff. Dani Barroso remains committed to guiding the youth academy on Ortiz’s behalf, but additional personnel will be recruited to support the organization.
Luis Castillo resigns as head of Hercules
Pedro Rojas
The club’s corporate leadership has grappled with questionable decision making in recent years. The combination of instability and a fragile sports project has damaged Hercules’ image and reputation. As a result, the club now operates in a constant state of crisis, making major overhauls a near-constant necessity.
Rebuilding Hercules should begin on the training ground and, above all, hinge on whether coach Lolo Escobar remains in charge. The contract runs for one more year, and while he has steered the team to playoff points since taking charge, the ultimate goal has not yet been achieved. The sports commission will decide whether Escobar will drive the new project or whether the club will pursue a broader takeover. Following that, the sports management must undertake a roster refresh, navigating several contract negotiations as many players are tied to deals for next season, including Ander Victoria and Sergio Marcos, with their involvement this season still uncertain.
This foundation invites a thorough evaluation of the current squad’s performance and a clear determination of which players fit with the proposed new project.
Lolo Escobar, in the air
Caesar Hernandez
Hercules must invest wisely in players who show commitment and experience, capable of guiding the team toward success or at least escaping relegation from the fourth tier. Doubts linger about Míchel, though his substantial contract could allow him to stay with the blue and white squad, even if his form did not meet expectations this season.
Meanwhile, the squad that finished last in the most recent official competition in Ibiza is training three times a week through May, as confirmed by the club’s technical staff. The Hercules squad returned to work at the Rico Pérez stadium on a recent Tuesday and resumed training the following day. They will train again on Friday before the weekend break. Next week, players will gather on Monday, Tuesday and Friday at Hercules’ likely final official session of the 2022-23 season, a year marked by historically poor performance in the club’s history. The Alicante club is waiting to appoint its next president so decisions can be made on the sporting side, including confirming the coaching staff’s continuation and beginning planning for next season’s squad.
Hercules plays with great historical irony
Pedro Rojas
Sporting mediocrity defined this season for Hercules, a view echoed by fans who voiced strong dissatisfaction with the management of the largest shareholder, Enrique Ortiz, through protests before, during and after matches. In the late sixties, Hercules spent two seasons in the third division, the lowest level they had reached at the time, before earning promotion back to higher divisions. Last year, upon rejoining the Second Federation, the club reached the playoff stage but fell in the first round, and this year the club faced its worst season in more than a century of competition. [citation: Hercules archives]