Back
González: "A win against FC Barcelona would be the most special day in the dugout"
The coach previews the LaLiga derby
Manolo González spoke to the media before Saturday afternoon's derby against C Barcelona, and the RCD Espanyol coach transmitted a mixture of normality and acknowledgement of the grandiosity of the game.
"The derby must be given great importance. We want to win one after a long time without doing so. We're convinced we can do it. What FC Barcelona think doesn't worry me too much. I'm sure that when the game kicks off, they'll be going all out. We must focus on our own game. We've lost to them three times since coming back up to the top flight, but we've come close to beating them," he explained.
“We can beat anyone. We've already done that against Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. In general, we haven't been playing badly lately. For example, we competed well against Betis -and we have to do it again this weekend.”
He recognised that, as coach, he's under immense pressure, “as always when we've played against FC Barcelona, but, at the same time, if we win it would be the most special day in the dugout for me, because of what winning there means and because it would also virtually guarantee our survival in LaLiga. It would be a great joy for all Espanyol fans and would allow us to face the rest of the season with greater peace of mind.”
He reiterated that from the very beginning he has wanted to instill in the group that “getting used to winning is something we have tried to implement. Not settling for anything less than that. Sometimes you win and sometimes you don't, but we want the players to have that mentality, to carry it within them and believe in it.”