A very beautiful situation

“It’s very nice to be in a situation like this, because it means the team has done things well. These are opportunities that must be taken. It’s very special for the players, the coaching staff, and the city. If we are able to enjoy this process, everything will go well.”

Strong rival 

“They have, probably, more experience than us, that’s the reality. Las Palmas did not build this project to play in the playoffs, but to fight for direct promotion, and they have come close. Given their scale, coming from the First Division, what they have built is meant to already be in the top division. They have 10-12 players who have already been promoted to the elite. That is an advantage, they know the path to get there. Against that, you have to bring enthusiasm, energy, and talent. We have to rely on the quality of our players and what they have been showing to reach this stage. Regardless of the size of the project, we finished on the same points. We must be aware of their experience, that there will be many moments where they will dominate possession. We also have our weapons: talent, energy, and enthusiasm. Experiencing things for the first time is more exciting, and that is what we have.”

Everyone raring to go

“A new competition begins and the format is different, we are not playing for points. It will be very important to manage the players’ condition and energy well, as we have the second leg in three days. Players will not be more or less important based on the quantity of minutes, but on the quality of those minutes. They cannot play two full matches plus extra time, if it happens. We have to see when to use them so they can be decisive. Many players’ contributions will be measured by how they perform in their minutes, not by how many minutes they play.”

Solely focused on Las Palmas

“I don’t know whether it’s a gift or not, but it is a great opportunity to experience a final to achieve promotion to the First Division. The playoffs must be lived as a single tie, not as four matches, and we have to get past this semi-final. There is a very important challenge: Las Palmas are one of the least goals conceded teams, and we need to score. We know our team well and how we have performed so far. We’re not going to speculate in the matches, that is how we have been efficient. We don’t want to think about not scoring and still going through. In the last decade, of the five extra times played, only one ended level at full time. We have to go out to win the matches. Discipline, commitment, enthusiasm, sacrifice and bravery are what have brought us here. There is no need to convince them, they have done it many times, and we have the talent of our players to achieve it.”

Return leg with our fans

“We cannot overlook how we manage energy. Córdoba, Andorra and them took the ball from us, we had a lot of energy that gets spent chasing the ball, and we need to measure that well. Our advantage is the extra energy given by the fans. Playing the second leg at La Rosaleda will be crucial because of the support from the crowd when energy levels drop. It can be important and even decisive. Murillo has had a very good week and will be in the squad as long as nothing goes wrong tomorrow.”

Our people, our greatest asset

“Our greatest asset is our fans, and the players show that week after week, we are grateful for the effort they make. It is very moving that there will be a full house. Maximum commitment, as we have had until now, so that they come and leave happy and proud of their team.”