Málaga-Córdoba
“We’ve known each other for a long time. They are a team in their best moment, wanting to control games, and they are performing at a very high level both in terms of play and in their defensive and offensive effectiveness. The difference is that they have five more points than us away from home. They are a very dangerous opponent when not at El Arcángel. We expect a very intense game with many individual battles, which will lead to a game full of tension and stress, even more so against a rival like this.”
Last match
“Football, when you lose like we did in Castellón, is cruel and wild. We are self-critical, these are situations that must be understood. It’s a team sport, but it becomes individualised; you have to accept the blows, the punishment, and keep fighting to find every possible solution. The first thing is to keep the group together, it was a painful moment. We must get back up, the mind rules everything, and continue working on all aspects: technical, tactical, and physical. We must be self-critical while supporting the boys.”
Demand and calm
“The team is doing a lot of things very well. And the result, when it keeps happening (away from home), or the decision-making, I can get things wrong, or right, that’s how it is. I put my position first, but we’re only on matchday 12, fully aware of the expectations we face. I understand the excitement, but we must not look for excuses. We need to stay calm and know that if we don’t achieve consistency, there will be changes.”
Self-criticism and focus
“We have to focus on the Córdoba match, being very self-critical internally. We must understand that everything can change in five minutes. And we need to lift the players’ spirits again. The team has done great things at the stadium and we want to build on that.”
