Baloncesto Fuenlabrada Loses Captain Daniel Manchón

Daniel Manchón will not continue with Baloncesto Fuenlabrada next season after the club and player failed to reach an agreement on a contract renewal.

The shooting guard will join HLA Alicante where he will reunite with his teammate and friend Mike Torres under the direction of Pedro Rivero as they look to compete for the Primera FEB playoffs.

As we reported this past Monday the 29th, the renewal of what had been the Flexicar Fuenlabrada captain appeared to be a matter of days away. However, in a sudden turn of events, the player from Palencia has not renewed with the team.

In this way, Fuenlabrada loses its captain despite the club's main intention remaining to maintain a large portion of last season's roster. The move has surprised much of the club's fanbase, and even fans throughout the league. Recall that the Palencia native comes off his best individual season. This year he averaged: 11.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists. In addition to being the main pillar of the defense both in intensity and level. This strong performance has led him to lead all of Primera FEB in steals with an average of 1.94 steals per game.

Another important factor to consider is that he is a locally-developed player (JFL), commonly referred to as "homegrown" players. Beyond the strong connection that existed between the player and the Fernando Martín crowd, being the player with the closest connection and who most "ignited" with the support of his fans. It is also important to highlight his relationship with Iñaki Martín, current head coach of Flexicar Fuenlabrada, who has known Manchón since the player was 15 years old and was selected for the Castilla y León regional team.

The loss of the team captain affects not only the emotions of the fans, but also disrupts the team's tactics. The Palencia native comes off an outstanding campaign in the league, in addition to being the tenth player in the league in minutes played per game. The club will need to fill this void with a quality player who can provide the same level of defense to the team.

We have also learned that the player had several offers on the table at the start of the offseason, while the club was in negotiations with Iñaki Martín. One of the offers would have been from his hometown team, Súper Agropal Palencia, which came very close to securing his services. However, the player decided to wait for his coach's renewal and continue with the Fuenlabrada project. Despite the player's confidence and intention to continue with the project, it appears that no agreement could be reached between the club and Manchón.

Daniel Manchón said goodbye to the fans with these words through his social media: "There are goodbyes that hurt because there are places that become home. I know many of you will understand and others not so much. Today I close a chapter that has been very special. Thank you Iñaki, coaching staff and each of my teammates for believing in me and helping me grow both on and off the court. And to the fans, what can I say... thank you from the heart. Your support, affection and passion made defending this jersey a true honor. I leave with the peace of mind of having given everything and with memories that will stay with me forever. I wish you all the best."

The club's farewell message read as follows: "Thank you for everything, Dani. All the best in the future."

Despite having secured Mateo Díaz and Romaric Belemene, the project loses one of its most important pieces both on and off the court. This season the FuenlaADN has not been understood without the D of Dani Manchón.