MADRID, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Although Deportivo Alaves are due to entertain FC Barcelona on Tuesday night, the game is not the biggest news in the city of Vitoria with the confirmation that coach Abelardo Fernandez will leave the club at the end of the season.
Rumors that Abelardo refused a new contract began to circulate on Monday, and although the coach refused to speak about the issue in his pre-game press conference, the club's maximum shareholder Josean Querejeta has since confirmed the rumors are true.
Speaking on Spanish radio station 'Onda Cero' in the early hours of Tuesday morning, Querejeta said it was "evident that the news" had been filtered to the press by Abelardo.
He added the coach had "asked for over twice as much as he is earning this season," and that he "didn't want to stay because he thinks he has taken the (club) as high up the table as he can."
Abelardo took over at Alaves last season with the side rock bottom of the Liga Santander and looking doomed to relegation. However, he produced a remarkable turnaround in results to escape relegation and Alaves were challenging for a place in the top-four this season until the club sold key players Ruben Soriano and Ibai Gomez in the January transfer window.
Former Leganes and Real Sociedad coach Asier Garitano is the favorite to take over at the end of this season, while Abelardo has quickly been mentioned as a candidate to take over at Betis if Quique Setien doesn't continue at the Sevilla based side next season.
