We visited the Cepal shop last month to see UD Lanzarote officially present their new manager, Juan Carlos Socorro.
Socorro is a Venezuelan-born manager who has lived on the Canaries since boyhood, where he became a vital element of the U.D. Las Palmas first team in the 90s and helped “The Canaries” to win two promotions. He also won four caps for the Venezuelan national side.
After several years in Las Palmas’s coaching team, Socorro was appointed by the tiny Panadería Pulido de San Mateo club, and managed to take them from the fifth tier of Spanish football to the third in just five years.
He then took U.D. San Fernando from the fourth to the third tier, before accepting the post at Lanzarote.
At the presentation, club President Juan Carlos Albuixech and director César Saavedra welcomed Socorro to UD Lanzarote the new manager spoke of his respect for the Arrecife-based club, describing how other Canarian sides envied their level of support and saying he wanted to make the Ciudad Deportiva “a place where other teams fear to play”.
He said that the club still needed to finalise signings in defence and midfield, but also pointed out that he didn’t want a large squad, “preferring to develop younger players from the club’s youth sides.”
Socorro said, “I can’t promise promotion, but I can promise you that I’ll work my socks off from day one, with enthusiasm and ambition.”
CEPAL GET BEHIND LANZAROTE
In less than 20 years, the CEPAL Group has gained an unparalleled reputation for high quality work in construction, glass and aluminium.
A family business with strong commitments to the Lanzarote community, CEPAL also believes in giving back. That’s why the company are one of the main sponsors of Arrecife’s UD Lanzarote, as well as the island’s Mundialito de Naciones (Little World Cup).
This annual event, organised by the Acciones Unidas charity, sees youth teams representing Spain, England, Morocco, Ecuador, Colombia and other nations competing over several weeks for the title. The aim of the competition is to strengthen links between the national communities present on the island.
OFFICIAL MERCH
Go to Lanzarote Football Club (Facebook page) or www.lanzarotefootball.com website for info on prices, directions to stadium etc. All shirts and other merchandise can be bought at the Teguise Market stall on Sundays, online at www.mercancialanzarote.com/shop/ or at our merchandise shop in Costa Teguise which is based at Centro Commercial Nautical, Local 25 (up from Decades Bar and behind Café Oppa).The shop is open Mon to Fri 10am to 1pm and also on Wednesdays 5-7pm.
