Leeds United legend comes back to haunt Victor Orta as 'get out' chants aimed at sporting director
Pablo Hernandez is enjoying life in management after leaving Leeds United in 2021.
CD Castellon’s incredible form under Leeds United legend Pablo Hernandez continued on Sunday with a thumping win that heaped pressure on another historic Elland Road figure.
Hernandez has overseen a massive improvement at boyhood club Castellon since taking over in September, initially on an interim basis. The former Leeds star won his first three games in charge and lost just two in eight before getting the job on a permanent basis in November.
It’s been no flash in the pan either, with Castellon steadily climbing from relegation trouble towards the top of the Spanish second-tier following a run of just one defeat in 13 going into the weekend. And on Sunday, they travelled to Real Valladolid, whose sporting director is Victor Orta.
Castellon subsequently ran riot at Valladolid, with Hernandez’s side 3-0 up at half-time courtesy of Ousmane Camara’s opener and a brace from Diego Barri. The Segunda Division leaders saw out the second period in comfort, with Brian Cipenga adding a fourth on 81 minutes and sending his side top of the league.
A brilliant day for Hernandez and Castellon only increased the scrutiny on Orta, however, with Valladolid 18th in the 22-team Spanish second tier. Local outlet Canal Pucela were at the game and posted a video on X, reportedly of fans chanting for the former Leeds sporting director to leave their club.
Those chants are similar to what was heard at Orta’s previous club, Sevilla, where he left in June last year following back-to-back miserable seasons at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. Frustration also reached boiling point towards the end of his time at Leeds as Premier League relegation loomed.
Leeds United legend Pablo Hernandez flying in management
It’s a completely different picture for Hernandez, however, who has gone from strength to strength since his emotional Leeds exit in 2021. The much-loved ‘El Mago’ has enjoyed a number of roles at boyhood club Castellon and is proving himself a very promising young manager - and it’s no surprise given his mentor at Elland Road.
"They’re drills we do in training, and [Marcelo] Bielsa used to tell us they could be perfectly applied to matches on the pitch," Hernandez recently explained. "They’re drills that, at first glance, make you wonder what they’re for, but then you realise everything has a purpose. They translate perfectly to Sundays [matchdays]."
Hernandez is still in the early days of his coaching career but a promotion to La Liga would do no harm to his credentials, should Castellon get over the line. And it would certainly improve his chances of achieving the ‘dream’ of being in the Elland Road dugout in the future.
“Valencia and Leeds have been the clubs where I have spent the most time,” Hernandez told Flashscore back in 2024 when asked about his future prospects. “Obviously, those two clubs, along with Castellón, are very important to me. There were five years [at Leeds] where I felt very loved, very important, where I managed to get promoted to the Premier League and where, the truth is, I really enjoyed myself as a player.
“Yes, obviously the clubs that are so important to me would be a dream [to manage], but it is something I am not considering at the moment. First, I want to learn a lot, I have a lot to learn, see if this is what really fulfils me and what I like, and in the future we will see what it holds.”