Real Madrid removes Pablo Laso from the bench

This Monday, Real Madrid put an end to the era of Pablo Laso (54 years old, Vitoria-Gasteiz) as coach of the first basketball team.

The club has made the dismissal of the coach official hours after the decision was communicated to him at a meeting at the club's offices between his representatives and those responsible for the section.

The conclave was the epitaph of one of the most successful stages in the club's history, closed with discordant opinions about the health of the former white coach.

Laso had one season left on his contract, which Madrid intended to pay him in full after deciding to remove him "for medical reasons solely and exclusively", according to the club's statement.

The technician, for his part, assures that he has reports that rule out that he runs risks if he continues in the position.

"After the heart attack he suffered a few weeks ago, Real Madrid has made several consultations with doctors and specialists in cardiology and all of them have expressed the obvious risk to his health that continuing as a squad coach at the moment means," explains Real. Madrid, which maintains that "not adopting this decision would be absolutely irresponsible."

On June 5, the coach suffered a myocardial infarction at the end of the second game of the ACB semifinals against Baskonia and spent two days in hospital.

Shortly after being discharged, he returned to training, but did not take his place on the bench in the last games of the season.

The position will be assumed by Chus Mateo, who took over the team in the final stretch of the season after Laso suffered a heart attack.

With Mateo in charge, Madrid closed the tie against Baskonia and took the ACB title in the final against Barcelona.

Until now, the second had formed a tandem with Laso since 2014 and his only previous experience leading a team was 10 years ago, when in 2011 he was hired by Unicaja to become the first coach, once Aíto García Reneses was dismissed.

More information

Here Pablo Laso, here his work

The decision clashes with Laso's intentions.

The Basque coach, as confirmed by those around him, planned to return to the head of the team in the preseason to start his eleventh year.

However, the club has decided not to risk it and has relied on medical reports that already discouraged the coach from returning to training the week after suffering the heart attack.

On the contrary, those around Laso insist that the coach has the approval of the doctors he has consulted to continue on the bench.

“He will never put his life at risk to train and the doctors he has visited have told him that there is no problem”, insist sources close to Laso, who emphasize that he does not plan to leave the bench: “His wish was to continue at the forefront of Real Madrid, but if it is not possible,

The hasty and unexpected departure of Laso marks the farewell not only to one of the best coaches in the club's history, but also to the departure of the coach who regained the enthusiasm of the fans with his joyful style of play, based on historical signs of identity, defense, speed and counterattack.

And when he couldn't deploy them, he also knew how to adapt the team to slower and more sophisticated systems.

In ten seasons, Laso has won 22 titles: two Euroleagues, six ACB Leagues, six Cups, seven Super Cups and one Intercontinental.

His track record can only be compared to that of two other myths on the white bench, Lolo Sainz and Pedro Ferrándiz.

Laso is also the Real Madrid coach with the most wins in history (659 in 860 games, 76.6% wins).

This last season has been one of the most difficult.

The team went through the worst streak of results of its stage, with 14 losses in 25 games.

The team's problems ranged from the sporting, with so many injuries that Laso was left without bases in the final stretch of the season, to the disciplinary, with Heurtel and Thompkins removed from the team for having gone out partying before a game.

However, the coach managed to lift the team just in time and ended up reaching the Euroleague final, in which he came within a basket of becoming European champion, and was crowned ACB champion in the final against Barcelona.

The last great service from him.

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