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Juan Ramón Padilla
Vélez-Málaga
Monday, 11 March 2024, 13:20
Pablo Sebastián Nilo is the new owner of Vélez Club de Fútbol in Vélez-Málaga, on the eastern strip of the Costa del Sol, bringing to a close a three-and-a-half years of Swedish ownership.
The 42-year-old Argentinean has arrived at the club’s Vivar Téllez ground fully aware of the job he has ahead of him to get the team back on track after months of uncertainty. “We have come to put out a fire, but the situation is still critical and the club could have disappeared," he said during a press conference on Thursday 7 March when the news was announced.
Nilo added, “We are dealing with a complicated situation, we have to look after the staff". Asked how much the club owes, he said that they are still "studying the numbers".
The new owner said that his plans for the club would start with "a training base, so that players can reach the first team". Secondly he is looking at contacting other teams for specific agreements and he has already made contact with some Argentinian players, looking ahead to next season. He appealed to sponsors, fans and external sources ensure that the club "does not disappear".
Responding to questions about Jesper Norberg and Magnus Pehrsson, president and vice-president, respectively (Pehrsson is also the current coach and sporting director), Nilo commented, “We appreciate their work. They are part of the previous project and there is a transition, so in a few days, we want to present a new coach". Nilo added that "he will be Argentinian and he will be part of the current coaching staff".
Pehrsson arrived at the club in the summer of 2020, promoting Vélez to Segunda RFEF and, although his goals were to move up to Primera RFEF. The Swedish duo spoke last August of an ambitious project to get Vélez promoted, but in October 2023 an agreement with French buyers collapsed at the last minute.
This led to the club falling into debt and players and other staff not being paid for up to four months and the consequent departure of most of the A team players. The club brought in players from the reserve and youth teams for the last few games, in which they miraculously managed two draws but also a number of defeats.
In addition to the financial problems brought about by failure to find investors, the club also failed to reach an agreement with Vélez-Málaga town hall for the transfer or purchase of land for a future sports city, through which the club had hoped to develop its football academy, which is one of the main sources of income.
Three new players were signed between the announcement of the new owner on Thursday and the home match on Sunday 10 March against CD Manchego Ciudad Real, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
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