The coach began by talking about the difficulty of the match and the importance of approaching the game seriously: “Tomorrow I expect a difficult match, we will try to be the ones who take control of the match and move on to the next round. They are a team that in their league is in a difficult situation that we know what it means because we have experienced it firsthand. Therefore, any match is an opportunity to boost oneself and they are aware of it.”
Regarding the aspirations in the tournament, the coach highlighted the objective of advancing and having the support of the fans in future rounds: “One of the factors that we are all looking for is to pass these first three rounds and be able to play the next round at home with the support of our people, knowing what that means. Hopefully we can get through tomorrow’s game and have the opportunity for luck to give us that tie.”
Regarding his team’s performance in this type of competition, he emphasized the importance of learning from past mistakes: “We know that these types of things usually happen in this tournament like in the last qualifying round. Tomorrow will not be an exception and we have to learn from the first half of Unionistas and reinforce the idea of the game that we had in the second half.”
Rayo Vallecano goal celebration against Real Betis Balompié. Source: La Liga EA Sports
The state of the squad was also a central topic in the press conference. He confirmed several important casualties, such as those of Pedro Díaz and James Rodríguez, who have suffered health problems during the holidays: “Pedro Díaz has had a virus and the flu. They won’t be able to be with us tomorrow. He joins the casualties of Joni Montiel, Augusto Batalla, Pelayo, Álvaro García and RDT”. He also referred to a recent incident with Augusto Batalla: “Yesterday there was a small scare with Batalla, but I can’t anticipate anything because we are waiting for the results of the tests.”
Asked about possible departures or movements in the market, the coach assured that he was satisfied with the squad: “Both James and others who believe that they do not have fair or deserved minutes will have to speak with the club. I am delighted with the template. At the moment there is no movement.”
Battle Stop against Real Betis Balompié. Source: La Liga EA Sports.
Finally, he spoke about the focus on the lineup for tomorrow’s game: “Those who believe it is appropriate to win will play. I do not believe in titular and substitute theorists. We want to pass and we have very high hopes for this tournament.”. In addition, he dedicated some words of affection to Bebe, a former player of the team they will face: “Bebe has always been characterized as a very loved person on the team. We’ll be happy to see him off the field tomorrow. We all know what its virtues are. In addition, we remember everything he has done for Rayo Vallecano sportingly.”
Senegal
