According to reports, Imanol Alguacil informed his players after the recent defeat against Deportivo Alavés that he will not continue as Real Sociedad’s head coach beyond June 30, when his contract expires, as he has decided not to renew.

Real Sociedad officially announced this decision at 13:00 local time. The coach concludes a six-and-a-half-year tenure marked by winning the Copa del Rey and securing five consecutive European qualifications. He hopes to add another European qualification to his achievements by the end of this season.

Alguacil had previously stated that he received a contract extension offer until the end of the season and would announce his decision in late April or early May, which he did today.

His decision to leave came after the loss to Deportivo Alavés at Mendizorrotza Stadium, a defeat that made Real Sociedad’s goal of securing a sixth consecutive European qualification more difficult. Two other objectives this season were reaching the Copa del Rey final (where they were eliminated in the semifinals) and progressing in the Europa League (where they reached the round of 16 but were knocked out by Manchester United).

Third Longest-Serving Manager in Real Sociedad’s History
With 334 matches in charge of Real Sociedad, Imanol is the third longest-serving manager in the club’s history, behind only Benito Díaz (391 matches) and John Toshack (386 matches).