Las Palmas captain to quit club in January after announcing exit | OneFootball

Las Palmas have been praised to the hilt in recent weeks for their excellent first half of the season, which sees them in the top half of the table, 5 points off Europe and 14 points clear of the drop after being promoted. They also have the second-best defensive record in La Liga. If there has been one sour note though, it is the breakdown in relations between the club and captain Jonathan Viera.

The 34-year-old is a club icon, was instrumental in their promotion, and is in his fourth spell with the side. However Las Palmas have announced that he will leave the club. They note that next Tuesday he will give a press conference explaining the reasons for his exit – he has a contrat until 2026, and it is not yet clear whether this will be terminated, or he will be transferred.

Earlier in the season, Viera went AWOL, and was spotted flying to Dubai in order to accept a multi-million euro offer. However that appeared to fall through, with Viera returning to training the following week. Diario AS say that his inability to work things out with manager Garcia Pimienta is the key reason for him leaving. He was dropped from the starting XI in late October, and has not been called up for a game since the eighth of that month, missing their last nine games.