Messi makes first moves at Eldense: García Montañés and Nebot set to lead

Leo Messi has already started making moves at Eldense. The Argentine star, now the owner of the Alicante-based club, is putting together a new leadership team made up of executives he trusts completely. Pablo García Montañés and Alfonso Nebot are emerging as the key figures in the day-to-day management of the Deportivo, pending formal validation of the purchase by Spain's Higher Sports Council (CSD).

• Messi is shaping a trusted executive team to run Eldense, the club he now owns.
• Pablo García Montañés and Alfonso Nebot are set to become the main executives of the new project.
• Both were at Nuevo Pepico Amat on Friday with Elda mayor Rubén Alfaro and watched the comeback against Oviedo.
• García Montañés is already linked to the leadership of UE Cornellà, the Catalan club also bought by Messi in April.
• Nebot has run Leo Messi's Family Office since 2009 and sits on the board of Andbank.

Who are the executives Messi has chosen for Eldense

Pablo García Montañés brings a background that blends banking, consulting and sports management. His career includes roles at Bankinter, Deloitte and Andorra Banc Agrícol Reig SA. Since May, he has also been part of the leadership team at UE Cornellà, the Catalan club acquired by Messi in April. His arrival at Eldense would confirm a clear line of continuity between both projects.

Alfonso Nebot is another person in whom the World Cup winner places total trust. He is a member of the board of directors at Andbank and has served as director of the Leo Messi Family Office since 2009. From that role he oversees the Argentine star's wealth and financial management, a crucial remit when it comes to steering the economic structure of a professional football club.

The visit to Nuevo Pepico Amat that confirms the new direction

García Montañés and Nebot were in the stands at Nuevo Pepico Amat on Friday. They were not alone: Elda mayor Rubén Alfaro joined them. The three watched Eldense's comeback against Oviedo live, in what served as the first official public appearance of the club's incoming leadership.

Javier Calleja, Eldense's head coach, revealed a few days ago that both the coaching staff and the squad are in permanent contact with the club's new board.

Messi's footprint at UE Cornellà and his step up to Eldense

The purchase of Eldense is not an isolated move in Messi's business strategy. In April, the Argentine had already acquired UE Cornellà, a historic club in Catalan football. García Montañés joining Cornellà's leadership in May, and now his likely role in Elda, point to a shared management structure across both organisations.

The step up to Eldense is more ambitious. The Alicante club competes in LaLiga Hypermotion, the second tier of Spanish football, and the project aims to establish itself in the division. Messi's arrival as owner, along with the professionalisation of the board, is designed to bring institutional and financial stability to a club that has grown rapidly in recent years.

What is still needed to complete the Eldense deal

The purchase of Eldense by Messi still needs approval from the Higher Sports Council. Until the CSD validates the transaction, the moves in the directors' box and within the club's structure are proceeding normally, but the final closing of the change of ownership remains subject to that administrative step.

Meanwhile, the team keeps competing. The comeback against Oviedo showed that the squad has maintained its sporting momentum during a period of institutional change. The dressing room, as confirmed by the head coach himself, already feels the presence of the new board on a daily basis.

Frequently asked questions about Messi's arrival at Eldense