Osasuna sack Alessio Lisci two days after surviving relegation on final day

Osasuna have parted ways with head coach Alessio Lisci, the club confirmed on Monday 25 May 2026, just 48 hours after securing their La Liga survival on the final day of the season. The 40-year-old Italian, who had one year remaining on his contract, becomes the first manager to be dismissed by Sporting Director Braulio Vazquez.

Lisci arrived at El Sadar after an impressive two-year spell at Mirandes, but his single season in Pamplona was defined by damaging inconsistency. With five games to go, Osasuna were still in contention for a European place, only to suffer five consecutive defeats that left them sweating on other results on the final day to confirm their top-flight status. They ultimately survived on head-to-head record, finishing 17th with 42 points.

Across all competitions, Lisci’s side won 14 games, drew nine and lost 19, scoring 63 goals and conceding 61. The defensive solidity that had characterised Osasuna in recent seasons was largely absent, despite productive campaigns from forwards Ante Budimir and Victor Munoz.

In a statement released Monday night, the club thanked Lisci for his dedication and his respectful treatment of supporters and staff. “Today, we say goodbye to a hardworking person who gave his all until the very end and always treated fans and staff with respect and kindness,” Osasuna wrote on social media.

Lisci himself acknowledged before the final match that his squad had been caught off guard by the relegation fight, having not anticipated being in that position given their points tally at the time.

Vazquez must now identify a fourth manager in three years at El Sadar, a search that underlines a period of relative instability following the long and settled tenure of Jagoba Arrasate. Both Arrasate and his successor Vicente Moreno departed at the end of their respective contracts; Lisci is the first to leave mid-deal.