Veljko Paunovic has been sacked as Real Oviedo coach just months after securing promotion, sparking debate among fans and controversy around veteran star Santi Cazorla. With two wins in eight matches, Oviedo now face a crucial battle to survive their first LaLiga season in 24 years.
Veljko Paunovic’s dismissal from Real Oviedo this week marked a turning point in what was supposed to be a fairytale return to LaLiga.
The Serbian coach, who only months ago had been hailed as the man who guided the Asturian club back to the top flight after a 24-year exile, is now the first managerial casualty of the 2025/26 season. The abrupt decision, which came after just eight league matches, highlights the unforgiving reality of top-level football, where sentiment and past achievements quickly give way to pressure for immediate results.
When Paunovic arrived in March 2025, Oviedo were fighting to secure promotion from the Segunda División and looked destined for another year of frustration. Against the odds, he injected discipline and belief into the squad, leading them through a remarkable run that culminated in a long-awaited promotion. That success sparked unforgettable scenes in the city, with thousands of supporters flooding the streets to celebrate the return of a club that had been away from LaLiga for nearly a quarter of a century. In that moment, Paunovic seemed untouchable, a figure destined to enter the club’s history books as one of its great architects.
The start of life in LaLiga, however, proved harsher than many had imagined. Oviedo managed only two victories in their opening eight matches and lost the other six, leaving them with a modest total of six points. Sitting in 17th place and only just above the relegation zone, the board grew increasingly concerned that the dream of top-flight stability could collapse into an immediate return to the second tier. While Paunovic retained the loyalty of some fans who admired his achievement and felt he deserved more time, others saw a team struggling to adapt to the higher level and questioned whether he had the tactical depth to compete against Spain’s elite clubs.
The decision to remove him was not limited to the head coach alone. The entire technical staff was dismissed, including Portuguese assistant Nuno Miguel Gomes, who had joined the club last season and played an important role in the promotion campaign. The clean sweep signalled the board’s intention to start fresh, to bring in a new management team capable of quickly stabilising results and securing survival. For Oviedo’s leadership, the message was clear: sentiment could not outweigh the cold demands of LaLiga.
Yet the sacking did not pass quietly. Almost immediately, debate turned toward the influence of the dressing room, with sections of the fanbase accusing senior players of undermining the coach. Much of the attention focused on Santi Cazorla, the club’s most iconic figure and at 40 years old still a key presence on the pitch. Revered for his glittering career in Spain and England and admired for his decision to return home to Oviedo in the twilight of his playing days, Cazorla suddenly found himself accused of playing a role in Paunovic’s downfall. On social media, some fans claimed that the veteran midfielder’s strong voice in the dressing room had contributed to tensions, while others defended him fiercely, arguing that blaming a player who has given so much to the club was both unfair and baseless.
Faced with growing speculation, Cazorla chose to respond in his own way. He posted a brief but pointed message on his social media accounts that was immediately picked up by the Spanish press. “I don’t know who I feel more sorry for, those who make things up about me or those who believe them,” he wrote. The statement was widely interpreted as a direct rebuttal to his critics, an effort to distance himself from the controversy and to reaffirm his commitment to the club. For a player whose reputation has always been built on professionalism and humility, the episode was an unexpected storm.
The saga has left Real Oviedo in a delicate position. On one hand, they have lost the coach who restored them to LaLiga and rekindled belief in the club’s future. On the other, the board insists that the change was essential to prevent relegation and protect the financial stability of a club that had invested heavily to compete in the top division. Whoever is appointed as Paunovic’s successor will inherit not only the task of improving results on the pitch but also the challenge of managing a dressing room now under intense scrutiny and navigating a fanbase that is deeply divided.
For Paunovic, the dismissal is a bitter end to what had looked like a fairytale chapter. For Cazorla, it is an unwelcome distraction during the closing years of a remarkable career. And for Oviedo, it is a reminder that promotion, while historic, was only the beginning of the challenge. The battle for survival in LaLiga is just beginning, and the way the club responds in the coming weeks will determine whether their long-awaited return proves to be the start of a new era or simply a fleeting moment of joy.
