Ciudad: present and future

The international economic crisis has an effect on many. President of Ciudad Real, Diaz de Mera, talks to Spanish media about the situation of his own team.

In the interview, the President emphasised that the help of the fans will have a greater importance in the future. At the same time, the objectives of the club remain unchanged.

The question raised by the journalists was simple. Will Ciudad be affected by the crisis?

“We need to adjust our budget,” Diaz de Mera replied. “If the fans support us in the same way as they do now, we will be able to continue working on our project. We will be able to maintain our standards if I have to put in 20 or 25% of the budget. I know that it will be difficult to find new sponsors at the moment, but I hope to continue without any changes,” said Diaz de Mera.

The name of Nikola Karabatic has been linked to Ciudad Real in the last few months. The President talks about him.

“We are not obsessed with him. Our roster is among the best in the world. We have many players, but we will have to reduce their number to 16. If Nikola would be in this group, that would be perfect. But we will not go crazy for him. The only thing we need is a balanced squad for next season.”

Olafur Stefansson has announced that he would play for Rhein-Neckar Löwen next season. Diaz de Mera comments:

“I do not see Neckar in the same situation as two months ago. I have not found the substitute of Olafur yet, but it will come soon.”

According to the latest reports, Urios could also return soon. The president is realistic about it:

“I prefer to wait and see him playing on a high level. It is difficult to imagine that he could play next season because he had a lot of problems. However, we have to wait how he will develop”.

Davis injured

And while the Ciudad Real president is already planning the future of the club, there are some difficulties right now in the team.

David Davis suffered a serious knee injury during a training session. He will undergo operation in Madrid.

The Spanish international felt some pain in his right knee and the medical checks confirmed the injury. He will be out for four or five weeks.

It also means that Davis will not play the upcoming Champions League games.

“This is a major blow for our defensive system. He was playing in good form. Anyway, Roberto Garcia will have a bigger responsibility in his position,” said Raul Gonzalez, assistant coach of Ciudad.