The base is formed and this time it is not about any revolution. But you have to make decisions now. Tito Blanco already has Oviedo 2022/23 in his hands and his first big decision could mark the future of the team: choosing the coach to succeed Ziganda. The selection process intensified yesterday with various meetings to see the suitability of some candidates. The agents of Jon Pérez Bolo and Julio Velázquez already know from Tito’s mouth Oviedo’s interest in having them on the bench. They are not the only candidates on the list managed by the new sports manager.
The frenetic day of the new sports director began with his presentation to the media. There he already explained that among his priorities was choosing the new coach. An election that Tito hopes to close “as soon as possible.” He already left some clues about what he was looking for: a competitive technician, who handles various styles, with experience and who transmits.
Jon Pérez Bolo fits the description, 48 years old, without a team after finishing a brilliant cycle in Ponferradina. He went to the Basque to the first coach that Oviedo called as soon as he found out that Ziganda was not following. The arrival of Tito was not closed, in fact it was negotiated with Lalo Arantegui, but the club contacted him, on two occasions, as LA NUEVA ESPAÑA reported on Wednesday, to find out his predisposition. Yesterday, the contacts intensified, with a meeting between the coach’s agents and Tito to discuss signing him. It is a profile that the club likes a lot, but the last word will be Tito.
After standing out at Arenas de Getxo, Bolo took charge of Ponfe in the 2018/19 season, in Segunda B. And at the first attempt, he managed to get promoted. Since then, three campaigns on the rise to pass the revelation team from Berciano to one of the alternatives for the play-off. He was 18th in his first year in Segunda and 8th in the next two.
Another who responds to the words pronounced by Tito is Julio Velázquez, with whom he has just coincided in Alavés. The Salamanca coach’s agents also met yesterday with the new sports director to discuss a possible incorporation to Oviedo.
Velázquez, 40, has a long career on the bench despite his youth. At just 30 years old, he was already directing the Villarreal subsidiary in Segunda, and the following year he did so with the first yellow team. Murcia, Betis and Alcorcón were his other destinations in the silver category. Velázquez also has international experience. He directed in Portugal (Os Belenenses, Vitoria de Setúbal and Marítimo) and in Italy (Udinese), in their highest categories. His last experience was this same campaign at Alavés, where he landed in Vitoria with 8 games to go in a critical situation and failed to reach salvation in the First Division.
