Ten things you need to know about Real Sociedad's new (and unknown) coach.

"We have to be a club of opportunities," said the president of Real Sociedad at the presentation of Sergio Francisco (Irun, 1979) and Erik Bretos (San Sebastián, 1989) as the new coach and sporting director, respectively, of the San Sebastián club. In a clear exercise of coherence, Jokin Aperribay defended the choice of a coach who, according to the top txuri-urdin leader, "has done more than Jagoba Arrasate and Imanol to coach the first team."

Following the surprising announcement of When Roberto Olabe announced last November that he would not be continuing at the end of the current season, Real Sociedad didn't hesitate to entrust the position to his former right-hand man , the aforementioned Bretos. Something similar happened when Imanol Alguacil decided to reject the renewal offer because, as he himself said, he had stopped winning. "Enthusiasm, energy, and ambition" was the message from the new triumvirate of Aperribay-Bretos-Sergio Francisco .

Sergio, as he likes to be called, has set a very high standard, although the Orio-born player's final months on the Anoeta bench were depressing enough that the Irun native, who appears full of energy and confidence, is unable to convey his enthusiasm to players and fans who need a reset. "I'm not here to make people forget Imanol, but to help people get to know Sergio," he said at his presentation. Here are ten ways to do just that.

1. A native of Guipuzcoa and a Real Madrid youth academy graduate , he never made it into the txuri-urdin first team and made his career as a striker at several Segunda B clubs. Among them, Real Unión in his native Irun, where he took his first steps as a coach. In the summer of 2012, he became Imanol Idiakez's assistant, and a year later, his first team, although his contract was not renewed.

2. As he himself pointed out in his presentation and as his president, Jokin Aperribay, emphasized, Sergio has been at Zubieta for ten years . He started at Easo, Real's second youth team, where he spent two seasons. He then spent five seasons in charge of Real C and the last three on the bench at Sanse.

3. Taking charge of Real's second team, and even more so replacing Xabi Alonso , was a significant test for the player from Irun, who not only didn't mind it, but also showed great personality. Sanse is having a great season and, although they'll be doing so without him, they're in contention for promotion to the Second Division.

4. His favorite systems are the 4-3-3 and the 4-4-2 diamond , with a more vertical style of play than Imanol's. He rarely uses a defense with three center backs and two wing-backs, although he's proven that when he needs to change, whether due to the demands of the match or the opponent, he makes changes and makes variations.

5. In a characteristic that will remind many of Ancelotti, he doesn't like to make many substitutions during matches . Although rotations are inevitable in top-flight competitions due to the schedule, Sergio is a coach who, unless necessary, likes to start matches with 11 to 13 players.

6. Unlike Imanol, who was very close to his players in training, the Irun native prefers to keep his distance from his players . He doesn't interact with them except when absolutely necessary, which in no way means he doesn't demand anything from them and is always vigilant about ensuring everyone gives their all in each session.

7. On the other hand, during games, he's very active on the bench and can be seen constantly giving instructions to his players. It's also true that until now he's coached teams with players who are still in training, hence the need to be very attentive to correcting them and communicating with them.

8. Although he's a coach who likes his team to take the initiative and be the protagonists with the ball, he's a student of football and loves to analyze how his opponents play . If not to vary his style of play, then certainly to try to take advantage of their weaknesses and protect himself from where they can be hurt.

9. He considers physical preparation very important, but it's not something he obsesses over , as it sometimes seemed to be the case with Imanol, who players have always praised for the intensity he brought to training. However, Sergio is keeping the Oriotarra's physical trainer, David Casamichana.

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10. He's very superstitious , something his players notice. This is especially true of small details, such as a pen or a pair of sneakers. This is common among some coaches. In Real Madrid's case, how can we forget Javier Irureta's trench coat, which he kept on after winning a match?

This is Real's new coach. A club that relies more than any other on its youth system and, like all others, combines this philosophy with signings regardless of their origin . Both Sergio and Erik Bretos are very clear about this, and now their mission is to strengthen and revive a team that won't be in Europe next season. This should serve as a boost to their return soon, without forgetting one of Imanol's main legacies: fighting to win the Cup in a final with fans.