Back

González: "The Copa del Rey is something to take very seriously"

The coach previews the game against Atlétic Lleida

Debuting in the Copa del Rey this week, RCD Espanyol are looking to carry over their league form in the cup competition. Coach Manolo González wants his side to approach the game against Atlétic Lleida with the same confidence as in their other games this season, emphasising that if the team don't reach that level, "I would be very disappointed."

“As a team, we still have a lot of work ahead of us. The Copa del Rey left me with bad memories from last season, and Atlétic Lleida are a well-coached team that compete well. We have to go out there highly focused."

"We're not considering throwing the Copa del Rey away. It’s a game in which we need to prove ourselves, and there's a tendency to think that teams from the lower RFEF divisions are inferior, but these are tough matches."

"It's something to take very seriously. I’ve managed lower division teams that have advanced against much higher-level opponents. Motivation is crucial in these matches," he concluded.