Outgoing Eldense president Carolina Holguin issues special request to Lionel Messi after club takeover

Holguin's time at the Estadio Municipal Nuevo Pepico Amat has officially ended after Messi completed his takeover of the Spanish second-division club. Since buying shares from Pascual Perez in October 2025, she helped the men's first team earn promotion back to La Liga while developing both the women's team and the academy. She also asked the fans to give the new owner a warm welcome from his very first day.

The outgoing president stepped down with total confidence after passing control of the historic club to the world's most iconic footballer. In her official farewell statement released by the club, she expressed her pride at the handover: "For me, being able to hand over the reins of this club to him today is an enormous source of pride and, above all, gives me the peace of mind of knowing that I leave it in the best hands."

Alongside her blessing, she also sent a direct request to the incoming owner: "Take care of it, respect what it means to its people and, above all, bring big dreams to Elda."

Her presidency was marked by tough operational challenges and controversial moves designed to protect the club's financial health. Looking back on that demanding period, she acknowledged taking "difficult, complex and, on several occasions, quite unpopular decisions."

Despite those past struggles, she is convinced that "what comes next can be extraordinary" after passing the club to a player she hailed as "the greatest living legend in world soccer."

Eldense must now turn their focus back to the pitch as they prepare to host Eibar this weekend. A poor start has left the team sitting 16th in the Segunda Division, with just five points from their opening five fixtures. Securing a home victory will be vital to climb away from danger as a fresh chapter begins under new ownership.