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González: "It will be a great game"
The coach previews the Catalan derby
Manolo González addressed any subject put to him regarding Saturday's derby against FC Barcelona, as the RCD Espanyol coach spoke in his pre-match press conference.
"I'm fully dedicated to preparing for the match and focused on the football. We're motivated and eager to continue our winning streak. We have to go out there and give it our all, like we do every week."
When asked about the selection of a Catalan referee for the match, he commented that "I think it's a mistake. Some things just don't make sense, and it's a deliberate attempt to create controversy where there shouldn't be any. I hope the pressure he might be under doesn't affect him."
He also reiterated that “I’m lucky that our fans are fully behind the team. I can’t complain. They’ll be pushing us hard tomorrow. The fans identify with the team, and we have to give them what they want. We’re responsible for keeping them on our side.”
González also expressed confidence that there will be no unsavoury incidents during the encounter, stating that “nothing will happen."
"It’s a football match, and the fans have to support the team. I’m speaking from my experience here. I’m not going to dwell on it. My concern is what happens on the pitch, because we’re facing a team who play at a very high tempo. It’s an extremely difficult fixture, and we will have to defend well and attack very well -but we’re prepared to face it and compete. We’re going out there convinced we’ll win, and we believe in what we do. I’ve already said that they’re very difficult and demanding opponents, but we think we can beat anyone. That’s the idea that’s been instilled in the dressing room since the season started.”
Returning to the topic of rivalry between the fans, he asserted that “it should be normal. That's all there is to it. I think people need to be aware of several things. The ones who suffer the most from this are the club and the fans. It's a great year so far and we have to enjoy it. The fans will be cheering us on, and we need to stay calm. Everyone's waiting for Espanyol to slip up so that they can pile on us. Nobody needs to lecture us on how to behave. The fans will behave, and we need them in this and every game.”
“It will be a great game. It's a game against our rivals. We both want to win, and that's the beauty of football, nothing more. What matters to me is winning.”
To conclude, he reminded those present that the objective remains “to reach 42 points. When we get there, we'll set our sights on the next goal. There's no point in talking about the second thing when we haven't even reached the first yet.”