Source:REUTERS/PANKRA NIETO
[Saba Sports News] Recently, Real Sociedad officially announced that Welsh coach John Toshack will be awarded the “Golden Diamond Badge” before the home match against Real Madrid, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the club. The award ceremony will take place at the Reale Arena. Toshack is one of the most important coaches in Real Sociedad’s history. He ranks second in the club’s history with 386 games managed. His main achievements include the memorable Copa del Rey victory against Atletico Madrid in 1987 and leading the team to a league runner-up finish the following year—only behind Real Madrid, which had the “Quinta del Buitre.” In 1985, Toshack surprisingly joined Real Sociedad from Sporting CP, when he was little known in Spanish football. He later returned to manage Real Sociedad twice, especially in 2001 when he answered the call for the third time and successfully helped the team avoid relegation. Although he was eventually dismissed in 2002 due to declining results, the squad framework he built laid an important foundation for the team’s subsequent league runner-up finish under coach Raynald Denoueix.