Once the team's relegation to the Second Division was confirmed the president of Real Betis Balompié, Manuel Domínguez Platas, offered a press conference to evaluate the Club's progress during the season. The president of the team from the Heliopolis revealed the next steps to be taken by the Board of Directors; his discourse commenced with an apology to the fans after a disappointing campaign that has ended with Betis dropping to the second tier of Spanish football.

Apology to the fans: "The president of Real Betis, on behalf of the Board of Directors wants to apologize to the fans of Real Betis for not being able to keep the team in the First Division, where it rightfully belongs given its history, fan base and many other motives. I would like to thank the supporters for all the support that they have given us throughout the season, despite the calamitous campaign There have been adverse circumstances, we were beset by injuries, luck was not on our side and the refereeing decisions have tended to go against us rather than the other way round. Nevertheless, the Board of Directors does not shirk its overall responsibility in terms of the relegation the club now faces. I believe it necessary to transmit a message of calmness and hope. For some time now the Board has been working on all possible scenarios. This was a possible eventuality since the 15th match day. Since that day we have been bottom of the league. It was possible, therefore, that this moment could arrive. Consequently, we have been planning to be able to create a team designed to return Real Betis Balompié to the elite of Spanish football in the shortest time possible, a category that they should never have abandoned".

Next steps: "The Club is economically sound, and has a viability plan that that provides for a Second Division team with an option for quick promotion. Furthermore, two seasons have been contemplated in the Second Division - God forbid - without any threat to the very existence of Real Betis Balompié. It is a severe setback and the sporting situation is lamentable but we are going to pick ourselves up. If we fail to manage the club financially and we do not comply with our viability plan, there is no way that we can pick ourselves up. Perhaps we have not been effective in the area of sporting management, and that has had its consequences".

Has any member of the Board resigned?: "Today no member of the Board has presented their resignation, nor will they do so tomorrow. As I said in the General Meeting, the Board of Directors is to be subject to progressive and ordered renewals. There were already some changes at the General Meeting held on 28th March and they will continue. It is our hope that by the next General Meeting the Board will be totally renewed according to a declaration of intentions at the time. We believed it to be totally irresponsible that the whole Board were to leave on 28 March giving way to a new one. What is more, there are very few candidates were seriously able to do so".

How are the negotiations going for a new CEO?: "We have been negotiating and interviewing executive officers and directors of football for quite some time now. There are a number of options available to us and conversations are advanced. It is our hope that shortly the results of these activities will be made public".

Francisco Estepa: "We contacted him on the very day he was appointed, the whole of the Board placed their office at the administrator's disposal and that offer is permanently open to him. When Francisco Estepa arrived he had no knowledge of the entity or the persons involved. Right from the start he has maintained interviews and conversations. He has formed his own bench which is not numerous. As and when he meets and is convinced that there are people able to assume the difficult challenge of returning Betis to the category in which they belong, he will have no problem".

You mentioned luck, injury and the referees amongst the motives for the team's relegation: "I have said that we accept our responsibility as top officials of the entity that we are. The records show that it is been a particularly painful year in terms of the absence of good luck, injuries and refereeing decisions. However, that does not free us of any responsibility but you cannot ignore the circumstances beyond the management of the club which have had a lot of influence".

The fans have called for the resignation of the Board of Directors: "The fans have a sovereign right to, we are not unaware of what their opinion is. Betis is in stormy waters. The situation will not be resolved by simply changing faces. The situation we are in and the profile of a Board that could substitute the current one cannot be very different to the one there is now. Such are the legal restrictions on the Club. Neither defendants nor claimants can form part of the Board. There has been criticism of the lack of 'football' people on the Board. Positions have been offered to the so-called 'football' people and they have politely declined our invitation. It would be irresponsible of us to tender our resignation whilst Francisco Estepa does not have the people necessary to continue with a responsible management of the Club".

Are there any 'football' people on the Board: "I have no doubt that that will be many 'football' people. There will be many people knowledgeable about football in the Betis spheres who could be on the Board. We have offered a position to a number of people who we believe to fulfil this profile, but they have refused. The Board will continue renovating. It is our hope to include people with knowledge and experience of the world of football. I do not subscribe to the opinion that the lack of football people on the Board has produced this lamentable situation. There is room for football people on the Board, that is the top of the chain in terms of responsibility, but below the Board there are a lot of people including football people who are involved in planning of the team. There are professionals who at any given moment advise and inform the Board of their opinions. It isn't the case that there aren't football people, that there is a football person on the Board; but there are, however, many professionals who theoretically are football people. This is not the reason for the disaster".

Do you think it is taken too long to hire a Director of Football?: "The renovation of the Board has nothing to do with the football management of the club. Time has not been lost nor is the renovation dragging its feet, we are working at a pace that is demanded by our responsibility to the entity. In terms of strategic planning the president who sits before you is the first one who would have liked to have announced a new Director of Football already, but in reality that has not been the case. We have interviewed many candidates and we have entered into many negotiations, but it is not easy. We have additional problems when it comes to hiring anyone. We are very close to having that person who will provide the structure and order for the next season and I understand that we have taken our time but I believe that it is not irreversible. Being absolutely convinced that the person that we are going to entrust this difficult task of regenerating the team, his characteristics and personality have taken absolute priority over the desire to do it quickly. We were aware that time was of the essence but it has not been an easy task".

Where you waiting for relegation to look for a director of football?: "Not at all, we were certainly not waiting for that. Any technical Secretariat can work on more than one possible scenario. The club has continued to work and there have been signings in recent months. We still don't have the director of the orchestra but we do have qualified professionals in their posts. It would be preferable to already have a director of football and we hope to have one very shortly".

You have said that the Betis fan should remain calm: "The Betis fans can rest easy insofar as you can given the uneasiness, sadness and bitterness of being relegated from the First Division. They should remain calm because the club is economically sound and can support being in the Second Division without the risk of anybody forcing it into liquidation. The fact that the renovation of the Board has not been swifter responds to the necessity of prudence and because the receiver wishes to know the person's that are to be introduced onto the Board. Whilst the task of getting to know the situation continues we have placed our offices at his disposal as that was the responsible thing to do".

Why have the football people refused to form part of the Board?: "When I say several, there could be more than two. Football people is a vague concept legally. There are not many volunteers willing to step up. Perhaps because of the legal quagmire, they may not be able to be board members because of purely legal issues".

Cries against Rafael Gordillo: "The stand has a sovereign right to ask for what it wants and I have heard them asked for the head of Rafael Gordillo, the Board of Directors and the entire world. Rafael Gordillo is an intangible heritage of the Club. He will be here as long as he wants to be. He has a very important role within the entity. At no time has he expressed his desire to abandon his position as a result of this movement on the stands which is sometimes not a spontaneous as it may seem".

Message of unity: "Gabriel Humberto Calderón has called for unity and is a man who has until recently observed Betis from a distance. He has hit the nail on the head, as they say. Unfortunately, this is my opinion and upfront I would say that I don't believe there are many people who would have an interest in Betis being where they are tonight, but who are interested in their being a lack of calm and institutional tranquillity".

Reaching out to other sectors within Betis' following: "There has never been any animosity towards any sectors of the club. I am not aware that with José Antonio Bosch or Francisco Estepa any doors have been closed against negotiations with some sectors of the club. Francisco Estepa has tried to talk with persons related with the club's recent past and they did not want to meet with him. Mr Estepa has closed the doors so that no claimant or defendant can form part of the Board. There are a series of circumstances that condition which people can form part of the management of this entity but not because there is a desire not to offer them one's hand. However, that has not prevented those people from being heard whenever they desire".