Huesca football club on Tuesday appointed Leo Franco to be its new head coach as the tiny team from northeastern Spain prepares for life in the country's top flight, to which it was promoted for the first time in the club's history after an emphatic season in the second division.
The Argentine former goalkeeper for Independiente, Atletico Madrid and Huesca is to take the reins from Rubi, who steered the team from Aragon into second place, guaranteeing an automatic promotion, though the club, which has a stadium capacity of just 5, 500, could still win the championship with one game left to go away to Oviedo on Saturday, reports Efe.
"I am very happy to be taking this step forward, " said the retired goalie, who made 28 appearances for Huesca between 2015/16.
"I know very well how this club works, I'm sure we're going to do great things.
The club wants to grow and we are on the right track, " he said at a press conference.
In a video message, he called on Huesca's fans to get fully behind their team ahead of what was going to be a challenging campaign in the top rung of Spanish soccer.
He told reporters that he would carry on from where Rubi had left off, complimenting the outgoing coach's style of management.
Huesca put in an impressive performance in La Liga 123 this year and was promoted following its victory over Lugo on May 21.
It is joined in automatic promotion by Madrid's Rayo Vallecano, which secured its return to La Liga on Sunday with a 1 - 0 victory also over Lugo.
The two teams are to battle it out for the championship with both Huesca and Rayo playing away to Oviedo and Gimnastic de Tarragona respectively on Saturday evening.
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