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Puado: "We have to be brave and have faith"
The captain talks about the final stretch of the season
Despite the poor results in the second half of the season, Javi Puado is certain that RCD Espanyol will turn things around in the final stretch.
The captain, who is still recovering from a long term injury, said before the match against Sevilla that the team "have the utmost enthusiasm. It’s vital for us, at a stadium that we know will be hostile and where the fans will be very vocal, but we’ll be going for the three points.”
He insisted that, within the dressing room, “we are one hundred percent convinced that we are staying up, but that has to translate onto what we do on the pitch. We have to make it clear there that the team will remain in the Primera Division.”
“We are a united team and have deserved more from some matches we've played. We belong in the top flight and we have to prove it. We have to have confidence. It depends on us. Getting three points as soon as possible would break the bad run from the second half of the season, and I think it would also be a turning point for the team to regain confidence.”
Of his own situation, he explained that he has "a positive outlook, trying to help everyone from my position. I spend all day in the gym and try to be positive, to get back our confidence. We were able to have a great first half of the season, and now we have to do it again. We have to be brave, have faith, and approach the matches with the utmost seriousness."
Speaking about what needs to be done at the Sánchez Pizjuán, he underlined that “We have a very difficult game ahead of us, but we have to be mentally prepared. We have to go all out and get the win as soon as possible. We’re going to a historic stadium, and we have to go there to win. I'm an advocate of talking less and showing more. What we have to do is win, and I am obviously fully convinced that Espanyol will be in the Primera Division next season.”