Fran Justo: “If I could come back, I would sign for Lugo again without hesitation”

He did not hesitate to leave Arenteiro to fulfill his dream. Club Deportivo Lugo opened the door to professional football for him, but it was immediately closed, after only nine games and four consecutive defeats in the initial stage of 2023, Fran Justo (Ourense, 1989) left quietly. No anger. “I decided not to say goodbye publicly in order not to make noise, because the club didn’t need that at that moment. I wish him the best and I hope our paths will cross again,” he says. Almost two months after his dismissal, he claims he made no mistake in signing for the Lugo team. He arrives at La Voz a few hours before Lugo announced the sacking of Joan Carrillo , his predecessor.

– Has everything regarding your shift been resolved?

-Yes Yes. We agreed by mutual agreement and simply went to court to certify it in writing.

— Do you hold a grudge against the Lugo leaders or anyone in particular?

“No, nobody. The only thing I can thank is everyone for giving me the opportunity to coach professional football at only 33 years old. It was my big dream. Now I can say that I have already done it. Besides, the learning, values ​​and experience that this phase gave me were huge.

— They only gave him nine games.

— I greatly appreciate the power of having coached nine games in the Second League. Obviously, I wish there were many more, but that’s how things happened and I don’t want to dwell too much on the subject.

“Don’t you regret it?”

— I started training at the age of 17 and my dream was to one day achieve it in professional football, so when I got the chance, I had to be fair and honest with myself. If I could go back, I would sign for Lugo again without a second thought. I got to know a beautiful city and people, spectacular fans to whom I feel indebted and an extraordinary group of football players who give their all. You certainly did not stop achieving your goal because of a lack of attitude or work.

— The club officially announced his dismissal on Tuesday, January 31, many hours after it was already announced in the media. When were they communicated to you?

“The day before, at noon. The annulment documents were signed on Tuesday afternoon.

– Who told you that you were fired?

-President

“What explanations do you give him?”

– They tell me that they will decide on my dismissal and little else.

– I didn’t expect that. Or if?

“I didn’t think about it.” And, like I said, I’d rather not think about it any more. I prefer to be able to say now, knowing the facts, that I am ready to coach professional football.

— What was your relationship with Saqués, with Pita and Wagner Molina?

-Warmhearted. In the case of Saqués, the normal one between the president and the coach. With Pita, a closer relationship on a daily basis; we have a very similar way of thinking and sporting values; and with Wagner, the professional relationship implied by our accusations.

— If you were there from the beginning of the course, would you bet on some other template model, with other reinforcements?

– It was a big handicap when I came, that I could not participate in the team’s preparations. My history as a coach is there. In all the places I’ve been, with time and projects, I’ve managed to bring the clubs to practically the best levels in their history. But this is professional football. I came to a team that I believed in and with which we managed to get out of the league in the first month and a half. We had a good chance to improve the group and adjust things in the winter market, but the club ended up stepping up when I left.

— What do you think about the movement of the club in January?

— Javi Avilés raised the level of the team, like Pantić. Gui Guedes was also necessary due to Juanpe’s injury, and there are other things that I think should stay behind closed doors. I gave my opinion, and the club acted in its own way.

—Lugo is the new bottom of the Second. Is there no quality for more or is it a matter of inertia?

— There is a very good work team, capable of competing with everyone, but dynamics also count. The situation is very complicated.

“The descent seems inevitable.

-Heavy. There is still time, it is true, and Lugo has already done it in previous seasons, but this year the gap is very big. They should not think about classification.

—Are there any players in the team who do not have the level for the second league?

— When the coach leads the team, he must think that everyone is giving a level. And the moment the market gives you an opportunity, you have to express your opinion.

— Ibiza and Málaga also seem doomed, with Ponferradina a little behind. What is your relegation prediction?

—This league is very long and understands a lot about inertia and dynamics. It’s hard for them too. Whoever manages to achieve a good streak in the next month and a half will have options until the end.

— Did you receive offers to return to training?

-That. Shortly after leaving Lugo, I already had opportunities. I can’t in Spain because the regulations don’t allow it, and going abroad was out of the question at the moment. I want to dedicate this time to recycling myself, since I have been training consecutively for 16 years; watch football live, continue to learn from different categories and enjoy.