Daniel Adriasola, the managing director of the Lucentum Alicante Foundation, assessed a season he says fell short of expectations for the club. He noted that the organization has not met the sporting targets set for the first time in nine years, with the team failing to reach the playoffs and to contend for promotion to the ACB as the regular season concluded in May. The team finished twelfth in the standings, missing the mark that had previously defined the club’s ambitions.
In the first assessment of the year, Adriasola stated that the goal for nine consecutive seasons had always been to rise as high as possible, and that this was the first time the objective was not achieved. He acknowledged that the club had emerged from a strong period and that expectations remained high, but he explained that the team endured several crises throughout the year and only once managed a balanced record of victories and defeats.
The general manager highlighted the seriousness of the home performance, noting that the team secured only eight wins in 17 home games, a figure that betrayed a deeper issue. This imbalance contributed to growing dissatisfaction among the fans and a sense of disconnect between the stands and the court.
Adriasola described the eight-home-loss tally as unacceptable and said finishing in twelfth place did not reflect the club’s tradition or its standing in the league. He confirmed the termination of Gonzalo García de Vitoria, who had another season on the contract, and supported the appointment of a new coach to lead the team in the assessment phase. The club also faced changes in leadership as part of a broader renewal plan for the squad.
“We’ve brought in Rafael Monclova as the new head coach and appointed a new sporting director, Luis Arbalejo, to build a project that excites everyone,” the general manager remarked. He expressed confidence that these changes would restore the team’s identifying marks over the coming year, aiming to make the season remarkable again and to create a sense of unity rarely seen in recent campaigns.
Adriasola stressed that it was premature to set firm goals for the next season while rosters of potential opponents remained unknown. Still, he pledged that Lucentum would restructure to be as competitive as possible, highlighting a new approach to style of play and competition. He explained that the merger of the club’s sports field president would organize everything surrounding the team’s first events, underlining the importance of a cohesive, well-coordinated plan that supports both performance and growth. The shift in game and player profiles, he noted, represented a deliberate break from De Vitoria’s approach, which had been highly valued but would be replaced by a plan more suited to current conditions and objectives.
Regarding the club’s merger with Intercity last November, Adriasola reiterated that the development was not a source of division for Lucentum. He said the collaboration was a growth step that added value rather than created friction, describing Intercity as the only Alicante partner that clearly chose to expand the club’s footprint. He acknowledged that integrating two different sporting structures posed challenges, but he framed the relationship as a positive evolution for the organization.
Adriasola also noted that potential mismatches at the beginning were natural and should be viewed as opportunities for collaboration rather than conflict. He underscored that working together should yield a net benefit for the next season, especially in financial aspects where Intercity’s support could bolster the club’s stability and future prospects.
The team’s pre-season schedule was confirmed to begin on September 1, with the season-ticket drive planned to start after the Bonfire festivities. The general manager stated that Lucentum currently stands as a stronger club than it was a year ago and expressed belief that improvements would continue. He added that the club would be ready to compete in the following year’s campaign, acknowledging that other teams with smaller budgets had outperformed them at times, signaling room for better execution and strategic improvement.