El Sardinero
“Better location? Impossible. It’s the best place to make up for these last few matches, although also the worst because they are the leaders. After us, Racing have suffered four defeats, and what they are doing is very difficult. Here, it wasn’t a 0-0 match, it was one of the most exciting games and one of the best first halves I can remember. It's a team with energy, that high defensive line, and players in offensive phases who are among the ones who shoot the most… I expect a high-intensity match, lots of back-and-forth, and we need to be ourselves and not speculate. We need to find the mechanisms that have gotten us to where we are and get closer to victory in a game I believe will be full of goals. We’re going to look for the win, compete, and stay united in defence and attack.”
Luismi’s absence
“There could be several changes. We'll wait for tomorrow's training session. Luismi is the support, for those losses of offensive players who take risks, and he provides that support. I have full confidence in those who will participate in midfield, that's what the squad is for, and everyone will step up. The youngest players and those who have been participating less.”
Juvenil ‘A’ win
“Congratulations to the boys, and to the coach, for how they achieved it. It reminded me of my time in the Juvenil team. The spirit of what we represent, it reminded me a bit of our match against Albacete. Fighting, giving it their all, and they knew how to react. I'm very happy because it generates a lot of excitement. I hope they keep up that effort they showed yesterday, they set an example.”
Dani Lorenzo
“It went well, I spoke to him and everything is fine. My message is to relieve him of the pressure to return. I wish him a speedy recovery and for him to stay calm and recover.”
Attack and defence
“At the beginning, it was very difficult for us to find the goal, but now we're being more precise. And now we're being punished for defensive mistakes that we weren't punished for before. In these last few matches, we haven't managed these aspects well, but if we recover our best version, it all comes down to that defensive solidarity. We're working on it to keep moving forward.”
Refereeing
“Maximum respect for all professionals. The main protagonists in this business are the players. The refereeing body must be respected, it's a very difficult job. The focus should be on the players, and eight matches ago, we saw a great match with a 0-0 result. That’s the focus, both José Alberto and I, and we want to help the referee so that a great show is seen on the pitch.”