Thank you to all
“Thank you to the Blue and White fans, to everyone. There have been overwhelming messages of support. It’s an honour, a heartfelt thank you from me and my family. Thank you.”
Match review
“Everything happened during this match, it was crazy and somewhat strange. Juanpe wasn’t on the squad list, Víctor was unable to play. The match can be divided into two phases. We played a very complete first half, except for some transitions. Algeciras is one of the teams to concede the fewest goals and we generated many situations. I liked what I saw. Two players were sent off in the tunnel. We lacked a little energy. Following the goal, the game became a little crazy. We have to be constant for 90 minutes. I’m very happy with the lads' work. It was a rollercoaster.”
Dioni’s expulsion
“He told me he slipped. It’s a card, but he said he slipped.”
Unity in the face of absences
“The Christmas holiday will allow us to recover players, to reflect. Juanpe's situation is a blow. In these first 17 matches the squad hasn’t been at 100%. We haven’t had continuity and we are competing. There has to be a more collective feeling, maintaining this level of points with the season so long, we have to be aware of what we’re doing. We need another step forward from everyone.”
A standout day
“It's hard, it's work and it’s a passion. The greatest tribute in this sense, with the love of the Club and the people, was being here. I’m proud of the tribute that was paid to him. We won. Beyond the personal issue, the important thing is that the team trained well. I’ve been away and watched them train live, the commitment is there. We are at the limit and ours and our rivals' stats are very high. We need a little more from everyone.”
A tough rival
“Algeciras, along with Antequera, is the team that has surprised everyone the most. There is no team in the division that has created so many chances, and that speaks well of the team's work. In the second half we went 2-0 up. Then they generated superiority and situations without feeling threatened. When they scored the goal they fought until the end, and they are a serious contender to be on top.”
Double expulsion
“It was between the coaching staff and the players. Neither I nor the referee saw it. When the expulsion happened, I went to talk to the referee and he told me that he saw the same thing as me and that he has assistants. Let's see what the minutes say.”
Risk of improper alignment
“There was a moment when I was on the verge of changing Izan. Einar was on a card, there was the option of putting him in midfield, but we had to take the risk. When I was going to make the change, it was 2-1. We had to go to the limit and anything could happen, that's why I say it was a rollercoaster.”
The young players’ process
“Over time, this is about consistency. Izan made his debut in the league today, he already made his debut in the Cup. I can see that the young people have performance. The boys give brutal energy and are going to have many opportunities. But all in good time, we have to stay calm. You have to know how to look after them, we can see that on a day-to-day basis and in immediate performance they are delivering. Let's see how they respond with 10 games and we’re 0-1 down at La Rosaleda. We must fix the mistakes to continue improving.”
Ending the year with 35 points
“Beyond the standings I remain with the 35 points, knowing that there are games in which we didn’t play well. The only problem we’ve had at our stadium is not being consistent for 90 minutes. The assessment, beyond what other rivals have done, is bordering on outstanding, due to all the circumstances: young players, the responsibility, where we came from... We have to reflect, continue improving. The teams know it’s difficult for us to suffer. I think the team was excellent.”
Victory at La Rosaleda
“We returned to winning ways at home. We need a game where we don't suffer so much. We should have been 2 or 3 up at half-time and enjoyed it more. We ended up suffering with two expulsions, bordering on an improper line-up. There was a lot of tension. The fans need what we saw in the first half for the whole 90 minutes.”
