Torrecilla Wins the Battle and Will Remain on the Hércules Bench

Rubén Torrecilla's future at Hércules has been decided: he will continue to lead the team for a third consecutive season. The Extremaduran coach seemed more likely to leave than stay just a few days ago, but he has ultimately received the decisive backing of owner Enrique Ortiz, supported by Javier Portillo, who remains active behind the scenes despite his paid role as a scout for Rayo Vallecano.

Meanwhile, technical secretary Paco Peña favoured a change in management, believing the team was capable of more this season, which ended with their survival confirmed in the penultimate match. As Torrecilla often points out, Hércules fought for promotion for 70% of the competition, but the undeniable collapse in the second half saw them record relegation-worthy numbers, finishing the league with four consecutive defeats that further soured the atmosphere. The 24-25 season Hércules set a negative record with 17 losses in the third tier of Spanish football, and throughout many matches, especially away, the same mistakes were repeated systematically without solutions from the bench. Additionally, Torrecilla has frequently criticised the club's transfer policy, particularly in the January market. His relationship with Peña is strained, which is why a change in management was expected, a view Ortiz shared until recently. However, the owner has changed his stance, and Torrecilla remains at the helm, a situation reminiscent of Lluís Planagumá in 2020. The Catalan coach started the following season under scrutiny and was dismissed after a few games, as was the case with Juan Carlos Mandiá and José Bordalás at Hércules. Ortiz was determined not to repeat this, but something (or someone) has convinced him that the situation is now different.

With the confirmation of the Extremaduran coach's continuity, the club faces a busy summer, as the squad needs significant restructuring to aim for promotion to the Segunda División. So far, the only confirmed signing is midfielder Ben Hamed, who joins from Amorebieta, a team relegated to Segunda RFEF with several matches remaining.

Hércules has renewed Carlos Abad's contract until 2028 and is trying to persuade winger Javi Moreno to sign as well. Of the players whose contracts are expiring, both Peña and Torrecilla agree on renewing pivot José Artiles and forward Agus Coscia. Additionally, there are several players under contract who will not continue with the team.