Corretja Dismissed As Captain, Says Plenty Of Lies Going Around

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 4th October 2013

Corretja Dismissed As Captain, Says Plenty Of Lies Going Around

epa03866081 Spain's captain Alex Corretja gives instructions to his player Fernando Verdasco during the match against Ukrainian Alexander Dolgopolov for the Davis Cup play-off round between Spain and Ukraine at the Caja Magica in Madrid, central Spain, 13 September 2013. EPA/EMILIO NARANJO |

The Spanish tennis community has found itself embroiled in controversy with the decision of the Spanish Tennis Federation not to renew the contract of captain Alex Corretja after just two years in charge.

The congenial Corretja is popular figure in the country and seemingly gets along with almost all of the players and many in the tennis industry. But he apparently didn’t see eye-to-eye with Spanish Federation President José Luis Escañuela, whom he believes was behind the decision not to give him another year.

In September, Spain beat Ukraine to stay in the World Group. Last year, they reached the final before losing a fifth rubber to the Czech Republic in Prague, but Corretja was without his best player, Rafael Nadal.

On Thursday Corretja met with technical director (and former Davis Cup captain) Albert Costa, and selections coordinator Pedro Hernandez, as well as Escañuela, where he was told that after December 31, he would no longer be the man in charge,

“For me it was the president 100 %,” Corretja said. “Plus I told Albert : ‘Hey, if you just want to talk about it , because there have been many leaks , there have been reports that if …’And he replied : ‘The things I talk to the players about are private.’ Which I think is very good. We have always had an excellent relationship. But, obviously ,the decision was the president’s because he is the person who decides those things . I can have an opinion, as he had. A couple of months ago we came back on a train from Madrid to Barcelona and he said he thought I would continue. I said yes , it’s true , but those things are spoken, things change and eventually other decisions are made.”

Two-time Roland Garros finalist Corretja appeared to be upset by the decision, but also said he was calm and would sleep well.

He said that he was given no specific reason for why his contract wasn’t renewed and that he gave his job everything he had.

“My professional life was the Davis Cup,” he said. “Between last year and this I spent more than 200 days off following the team around. 200 days ! Why did I do it ? Because it was my passion . Nobody forces you to travel to tournaments . I had complete peace of mind to make decisions, both by the President and by the athletic director. Nobody told me I had to go ten days or five at Roland Garros, Wimbledon. Nobody.”

There have been various rumors floating around as to why Corretja was sent packing. Some say it was because he would not allow certain private coaches to come to ties, others because he didn’t get along with some of the players. Corretja claimed all of that was “lies and atrocities.”

“My relationship with the players is excellent. I do not wear mask, I have always been very caring and all decisions I made, I was thinking what was best for the team,” Corretja said. “I had to call up 10 different players in six ties, which I think is a record for our country.”

Corretja also said that he discussed the presence of private coaches with every single player, as well as with their coaches and he did not want to limit their presence.

“I would say it’s more than false. But at the end of the day it’s very hard to go out constantly deny many rumors. Every line I read, I was surprised at such barbarity, of such defamation , so much ridiculousness and so little honesty and little truth. There was not a line to be true. What I wasn’t speaking to the coaches? No, the opposite. The Federation asked me a year ago that if you could limit the (amount of people on the) bench. I gave the arguments by which there needed to be the physios, doctors, the stringer, the members of the group … It is true that I asked the players if they really needed to have their (private) coaches (at ties) . Some players told me they thought their coaches wouldn’t come because they traveled with them all year and at Davis they should be alone with the captain and vice-captain. Other players said: ‘I think we should have them because we travel with them.”

I’ve always said that people who best know the players are their coaches. I’ll give the example of the Davis Cup final. I talked to the coaches to ask how to approach each match. We talked together, we planned together and from there I was in the chair where I had to make the decisions, right or wrong. But in no time I was going to censor that coaches come.”

Spain has won five titles this century, the last coming with Costa as the captain in 2011.

There are reports that former No. 1 former Carlos Moya will take over as Spain’s Davis Cup captain at the end of the year, and that Juan Carlos Ferrero, was also considered for the job.

Corretja said that as far as he knows no decision has been made yet. He also said he was told he can work up until the end of the year, but it might be strange.

Spain will travel to Germany for the first tie of their 2014 campaign.

“Are we (going to have) two captains to Paris -Bercy or to London? ” he asked. “They replied that they haven’t raised that issue yet.”

Topics: 10sballs, Alex Corretja, Davis Cup, Rafael Nadal, Spanish Tennis Federation, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News

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skoalDJ says:

October 4, 2013 at 7:59 am

RT @10sBalls_com: Corretja Dismissed As Captain, Says Plenty Of Lies Going Around: The Spanish tennis community has found… http://t.co/Tv…