Real Oviedo Dismisses Coach Julian Calero, Raul Gonzalez Set to Take Over
Real Oviedo have dismissed coach Julian Calero just days after a morale-boosting 2-1 win over Cadiz, a brutal reminder that results are only one part of the equation in a club chasing a bigger horizon.
The decision ends the Spaniard’s brief four‑month stay and clears the runway for a heavyweight name: Raul Gonzalez Blanco.
Calero Out, Raul Waiting in the Wings
On Monday, Oviedo confirmed in an official statement that they had terminated Calero’s contract, which was due to run until 30 June 2027, and also relieved his entire coaching staff of their duties. The club expressed its thanks for their work, but the timing made the message feel more like a full stop than a comma.
Calero departs with the ink on that Cadiz win barely dry. Under normal circumstances, a victory like that buys a little breathing space. Here, it only underlined that the club’s leadership had already chosen a different path.
That path leads directly to Raul.
According to Spanish newspaper “Marca”, the Oviedo board have settled on the former Real Madrid icon as Calero’s successor. The move has been building behind the scenes, shaped not only by football logic but by personal conviction at ownership level.
Jesus Martinez, president of the Pachuca group that owns Real Oviedo, is said to hold Raul in high regard: for his character, for the authority of his playing career, and for his understanding of the game from the dugout. For an ambitious project, he sees a figurehead.
A Legend with a Local Thread
Raul’s name alone carries global weight, but in Oviedo there is also a quieter, more intimate link. His son is already part of the club’s structure, playing for the Vetusta team. It is a small detail, but it gives the potential appointment an extra layer of belonging, a sense that this would be more than a passing stop on a coaching CV.
For Oviedo, that matters. The club is trying to build something stable under the Pachuca umbrella, to move from hopeful to serious. Bringing in a figure like Raul sends a message to the dressing room, the stands and the rest of the league.
Girona Looms, Paperwork First
What it does not do is solve the immediate problem on the touchline.
Calero will not lead the team in their next match, a high-profile clash against Girona on Saturday at the “Carlos Tartiere” stadium. As the board work through the paperwork to finalise Raul’s arrival, the team face a pivotal fixture without the man who prepared them for it and without his confirmed replacement.
The decision is ruthless, but it is also revealing. Oviedo are betting that a swift, decisive break now will pay off across the season.
If Raul does walk out at the “Carlos Tartiere” as head coach in the coming days, the club will not just be unveiling a new manager. They will be unveiling a new idea of themselves.
