Levante UD’s football department defined the long-term planning for its administrative leadership by confirming the extension of the contracts of Héctor Rodas and José Gila. The two professionals, who are responsible for the sports direction of the men’s team, signed a new agreement valid until the end of the 2028 season. The association from the city of Valencia used its official communication channels to formalize the maintenance of the directors, a movement that consolidates confidence in the work that began in a period of strong internal instability. The decision dispels rumors of changes to the organizational chart and ensures that planning for the next transfer windows follows the same market philosophy.
The restructuring that culminated in the duo taking effect took place in the first months of 2025, shortly after the end of Felipe Miñambres’ cycle in charge of football operations. At that time, the Granota team needed to reorganize its finances and put together a competitive squad to seek access. Under the leadership of Rodas and Gila, the club achieved two fundamental goals for its financial and sporting health: it achieved a return to the First Division of the Spanish Championship in the 2024/2025 round and, in the following year, ensured its permanence in the national elite during the complex 2025/2026 campaign. Success on these two fronts qualified the executives for a more lasting project.
Historical identification and data analysis
The profile of the professionals chosen by Levante’s top management mixes locker room experience with academic and technological specialization. Héctor Rodas has a deep connection with the stands of the Ciutat de València stadium, having defended the club’s colors as a professional defender for a decade and a half. After hanging up his boots, he sought qualifications outside the field, graduating in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences, in addition to completing specific courses aimed at managing professional football departments. This theoretical background combined with practical experience facilitates the former athlete’s transit between the board and the coaching staff.
At the other end of the partnership, José Gila provides the analytical support required by modern football. The director has been part of the institution’s staff since 2019, during which time he implemented and coordinated the talent acquisition and performance analysis department. Before ascending to the top position in sports management, Gila served as head of observation, mapping peripheral markets and identifying undervalued athletes. The combination of these two aspects created an administrative dynamic that the Board of Directors classified as highly efficient, especially in optimizing financial resources within the strict rules of economic control imposed by the LaLiga organization.
Market strategy and base categories
The guarantee of another year competing on the top shelf of football in Spain offers Levante a competitive advantage that is rare in its recent history: budgetary predictability. With television quotas and elite sponsorships assured, the football department gains momentum to plan signings without the urgency of immediate results that usually haunts newly promoted teams. The management’s central objective until 2028 is to establish a playing and hiring model that allows the main squad to evolve organically, reducing player turnover each European summer and winter window.
To sustain this growth without compromising the club’s coffers, the board established clear guidelines for the formation of the squad led by coach Luís Castro. The focus of recruitment and internal development follows a hierarchy of priorities that aims to balance youth, experience and cost-benefit. The Spanish club’s strategic planning is based on the following pillars of action in the football market:
- Intensive valorization of the academy, integrating young people trained in the youth categories directly into the training routine of the main team.
- Search for athletes who already have proven experience and adaptation to the rhythm and tactical demands of the Spanish First Division.
- Monitoring lower-visibility European leagues to find players with resale potential and ability to make an immediate impact.
- Hiring young talents from other sports centers that fit the purposeful game model required by the current technical committee.
The focus on the base, traditionally known in Spain as cantera, functions as a survival and identity mechanism. In a scenario where clubs with greater investment monopolize major signings, teams the size of Levante need to manufacture their own idols and financial assets. The renewal of directors signals to young people in the lower categories that there is a paved and monitored path to the professional team, as long as the performance criteria established by the pair are met during the training process.
Projections for upcoming seasons
The signing of the contract until 2028 breaks with the culture of early dismissals that often dominates behind the scenes in high-performance sport. By granting a medium-term mandate to its executives, Levante’s presidency shifts the pressure from the immediate result to the construction of a structural legacy. The absence of constant changes in the leadership of the football department prevents the breakdown of processes, prevents the abrupt reformulation of squads and preserves the institutional knowledge acquired over the last few seasons. This stability is considered the team’s greatest asset when competing against opponents who have significantly higher salaries.
The timing of the announcement also carries strategic weight, occurring exactly as the club is laying its foundations for the 2026/2027 season. The stay in the elite during the last calendar was treated as a historic milestone by the fans, who filled the stands to support the team in moments of fluctuation. Keeping the architects of this squad in command positions sends a direct message to the market and sponsors, showing that the institution is no longer a provisional participant in the main division to consolidate itself as a mature sports project with clear guidelines for the future.