FC Andorra Celebrates Nine-Point Streak Amid Coach Dismissal Court Victory

FC Andorra players hailed their historic nine-point streak in Spain's Segunda División, crediting collective effort and defensive maturity for lifting the team to 12th place, seven points clear of relegation.

Defender Gael Alonso, who has emerged as a defensive linchpin amid rotations and ranks second in minutes played, described the mood in the dressing room as buoyant. "We're very happy with the results, especially the last two where we did excellent teamwork," he told reporters. Alonso emphasised growing maturity against tough opponents in challenging venues. "The solidity we're showing and the maturity in difficult stadiums is what's giving us these results," he said. He highlighted a team-wide defensive shift, beyond individuals like Diego Alende and Jesús Owono, with victories at Córdoba and a solid home win over Sporting Gijón boosting confidence and distance from the drop zone.

In a separate ruling, Andorra's Superior Court of Justice has sided with former manager Eder Sarabia and assistant Jon López in their unfair dismissal claims from March 2024, enforcing their Spanish federation contracts over local labour law minimums.

The decision reverses the Batllia Court's prior judgement, which recognised the dismissal as unfair but limited payouts to initial deposits of 218,418 euros for Sarabia and 8,583 euros for López, dismissing the federation contract as an adhesion agreement incompatible with Andorran rules.

The higher court has now ordered additional payments of 455,458 euros to Sarabia and 43,901 euros to López, for totals around 674,000 euros and 52,000 euros respectively. Some reports cite roughly 630,000 euros for Sarabia including 18,913 euros for unused holidays. It rejected further claims for dismissal supplements, holding that full contract payout—through the 2024-25 season—adequately compensates without extras. Assistant Guillermo Gómez's claim was settled earlier with no added amount.

The court stressed that federation contracts, mandatory for Spanish professional leagues, establish binding standards exceeding Andorran minima when parties agree to superior terms. It described such contracts not as impositions but as essential for licensing and competition integrity, voluntarily accepted by the club. Sarabia, appointed in 2021 and extended to 2024-25, was sacked during a dismal second Segunda season after failed mutual termination talks. The club had judicially deposited initial sums, contesting federation contract applicability. Now coaching Elche in Primera División, Sarabia secures a significant financial win.