Jagoba Arrasate met with the press for the first time as our new manager and was joined by sporting director Pablo Ortells and CEO of Business Alfonso Díaz for his opening press conference. Find out what Arrasate had to say below:
On his arrival: It is an emerging club with possibilities. In life what you want is new challenges sometimes and we see Mallorca as an ideal club to continue growing hand in hand.
On a three-year contract: The fact that the project is long-lasting has been very important in my decision to come. The commitment and the confidence, which is difficult to find, are total. It gives me peace of mind. Signing for three years gives us the option of building something we are excited about.
On his reasons for joining: I want to value the trajectory of Mallorca in recent years. There are solid foundations and we want to give it our nuance and make it a recognisable team. I understood that after taking such a difficult decision to leave Osasuna. I needed a project and this one meets all my requirements.
On signings: I think it's too early and the market is at a standstill. We are more or less clear about what we want. From the outside, I like the squad, although we will probably have to make some adjustments because last year it was designed to play in a certain way and this year we could bring in some new players.
On his idea of the game: I have my idea of the game. I come from the north. I like a vertical, brave team. You have your own idea of the game, but you also have to adapt at times to what you have. Beyond the system, we have a clear identity.
On goalkeepers: It's not a problem, it's a very good situation. Perhaps a decision will have to be made, but I'm delighted.
On players who finish their contract: We are talking to Pablo and we will make the best decision, but we have just arrived and there is no imminent decision yet.
On the objective: The club wants to keep growing. That growth means being in LaLiga. We are aware of that, but football has something very nice, which is that you can generate excitement. I come from Pamplona where the objective was to maintain the league but that doesn't mean we are not as ambitious as possible.
On his personality: We come with a lot of enthusiasm. We have a very nice challenge and beyond meeting the objectives, one wants to leave one's mark and for people to go home happy and to identify with their team. When you've been in Pamplona for six years you're happy, the family is good, but in football nothing lasts forever. We are driven by challenges and this challenge is wonderful. Coming to the island has many incentives on a personal level and for my family.
On Aritz Aduriz and Manix Mandiola: They have been two very important people for me to come here. Manix always told me that he was happy and that it was a good life. I have also spoken to Aritz and they are two people who have had a big influence on my decision.
On Cyle Larin: A coach wants to get the best out of his players. I believe a lot in Larin and I think that, after a year of adaptation, the next one can be better. I believe in him a lot.
On the infrastructure: You can see the growth of the last few years. We have a fantastic training ground and a stadium that is growing all the time. What we want is that this doesn't stop.
On talking to Javier Aguirre and Luis García Plaza: I have a fantastic relationship with Aguirre. He congratulated me and the same with Luis García Plaza. I have also spoken with Vicente Moreno because I have been telling him things about Osasuna and he has been telling me about Mallorca.
On the academy: In the north, the main asset is the youth academy and here it has to be a little bit the same. We want to train people and players for the first team. We like to look at home and work with the people from home and hopefully in the coming years there will be many players from the youth academy in the first team.
On pre-season: We are in the final stages of the pre-season and the training camp. More information will be available in the next few days.
On making decisions on transfers: I believe in the sporting management. What we do is to share the information we have. We have been working in this way, working hand in hand.
On time needed: We are coming to a new place and with the way of training and the idea of the game there will have to be an adaptation, but on the first matchday we will have to try to win and we will try to adapt to that.
On talking to Andy Kohlberg: I spoke to Andy Kohlberg. He's a very nice guy.
On Mallorquin: The longer I am here, the easier it will be for me to learn.
On Antonio Raíllo: I was able to talk to him. He is a very important player for us.
On Mojica and Abde: Whether or not there is a chance that they will come escapes me. If we listen to the rumours, the squad will be full. We have a clear idea of what we need and I don't mind waiting if the players who can give us a leap in quality really come.
On Sergi Darder: I've known him for a long time. I think he's a very important player. I don't know if his performances this year have been the best and we hope to get the best out of him. I expect a lot from him.
On the Spanish Super Cup: I hope to be here for more days than last year. It's a very different experience. When I arrive we will talk about it because it is an atypical competition. Right now there are other competitions that are more relevant.
On the fans and the team: The viability of the club depends on being in LaLiga. We need people to identify with the team and feel proud of Mallorca. One thing doesn't take away from the other: we can compete to achieve this objective and at the same time get people's hopes up.
