Oswaldo Sánchez, the legendary Santos Laguna goalkeeper, has recalled president Aleco Irarragorri's close bond with the team, describing him as a figure who knows the club from the inside out. The former Mexico international defended Irarragorri's work as the team finds its footing in the table, riding a four-game winning streak that places them 16th with 10 points.

Sánchez, who guarded Santos' goal in 296 Liga MX matches between 2007 and 2014, shared his memories of Irarragorri's early days around the club. "A Aleco yo lo quiero mucho, es un tipo que conoce las entrañas de Santos desde lo más profundo, porque él andaba de balonero, viajaba con nosotros porque era hasta como nuestra mascota," the former keeper explained.

The son of Alejandro Irarragorri assumed the presidency of the club based in Torreón, Coahuila, after years of proximity to the squad. Sánchez also addressed the shifting public perception of the executive. "Yo tengo un gran cariño por él, tiene su forma y su estilo y ahora Santos está acomodándose y en lo que en un momento fue criticado a Aleco por lo de la canción de color esperanza pues ahora lo están alabando, es propositivo y es un tipo que trae ganas de hacer las cosas bien," he added.

These comments come amid a tangible improvement on the pitch. Santos Laguna is on a four-match winning run, including a 1-0 victory over Pachuca on September 27th with a goal from Francisco Villalba, following a tough start to the season. The team aims to maintain this positive momentum in their next fixture, an away trip to Atlético San Luis on October 11th, an opponent sitting in 13th place.

Sánchez's career with the club, where he logged 26,511 minutes and kept 73 clean sheets, gives him a unique perspective to assess Irarragorri's connection to the essence of La Comarca Lagunera. The current president inherited and expanded that bond, guiding the team at the Territorio Santos Modelo Stadium. With top scorer E. Bullaude netting 3 goals this season, the team needs to consolidate its offensive and defensive output, having scored 10 and conceded 15. this season's squad, which you can review on our squad page, faces the second half of the tournament with ambitions to climb the standings.

Read the full report at marca.com