Pamplona (EFE).- Osasuna has made official the signing of central defender Alejandro Catena for the next five seasons, thus reinforcing the rojilla defense ahead of an exciting new course that will begin next August.
What was an open secret has come true shortly before 2:00 p.m. this Friday. The man from Madrid will arrive at the entity without transfer costs after ending his contractual relationship with Rayo Vallecano and will be presented as a new rojillo player once his new relationship begins.
The former franjirrojo player has been one of Iraola’s key pieces at Rayo. He has played 71 games with Vallecas in the last two seasons, so he has the necessary experience to quickly adapt to what his new coach, Jagoba Arrasate, will ask of him.
He is a footballer with a large wingspan, 194 centimeters, and a powerful aerial game that is reflected in the fact that he has been the fourth defender in the competition with the most duels won by high and the second with the most clearances in the course that has just ended.
However, his precision in moving has also made him the defender with the most deep passes in the championship, 177. At 28, Catena lands in Pamplona as a great bet from the sports management led by Braulio Vázquez to form alongside David García one of the championship defenses with more projection.
A “challenge” to sign for Osasuna
Catena has affirmed that he takes his arrival in Pamplona as “a challenge” and predicts a “very beautiful season ahead” with several competitions to play. “I really wanted to arrive, to meet the people and from the first moment they told me that it is a very familiar club, that it is very united, close-knit and that it has incredible fans that will support us at all times”, The 28-year-old from Madrid has pointed out to the club about his signing for five courses.
He calls his joining Osasuna a challenge: “it is a step forward and I take it that way. I want to help as much as I can and add to what he already has, which is quite large, not only on the pitch, but everything he has in the dressing room, the communion with the fans, how the club works…”
“Both in Vallecas and in Navarra, football is lived very intensely, with a lot of passion. They are hobbies that I have had the opportunity to experience and they never stop encouraging the team, whatever the result. That parallelism between the two clubs is something beautiful, ”he said about his old and his new fans.
Sadar “is a very difficult field, which is very pressing and which gives the Osasuna players a plus from the first moment and my experience, both with Rayo and with Reus, were very difficult matches that you feel you are, in a certain way way, a little drowned by that atmosphere that is generated”.
He has left a message for the rojillos: “I’m going to give everything for the shield, I really want to play and I’m sure it will be a very exciting year for everyone. Let’s go for him and see you at the stadium”.