Espanyol Prepares for Crucial Match Against Alavés Amid Market Focus

omidbasir- In a week where the spotlight is on the closing days of the transfer market, Espanyol must not lose sight of the crucial match against Alavés this Friday. The team will kick off the day at the RCDE Stadium, aiming for a victory that could break their four-match winless streak under coach Manolo González. Following the morning training session at Dani Jarque, one of the key players in the squad, Pere Milla, addressed the media to discuss the team’s current situation and recent comments from the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) regarding the events at Mestalla.

Regarding the team’s performance and lack of scoring: “We are working with composure. We haven’t won yet this year, and it’s true that we haven’t scored many goals. However, we played at Mestalla recently, where it wasn’t one of our best matches, but we still managed to score two goals. Goals are like ketchup; you have to keep pressing but do so calmly.”

On the CTA’s acknowledgment of the error at Mestalla: “It has now been acknowledged that there was a mistake, that there was a foul on Rubén. On the field, there’s little we can say due to the risk of being penalized. I appreciate that the CTA is taking a stand, affirming what we all knew, but we still find ourselves one point down.”

Reflecting on refereeing and the use of VAR: “We will always be in this situation. Football is very emotional. It doesn’t matter if you implement or remove VAR; officiating is incredibly challenging, and when calls go against you, it often feels intentional. We received a talk at the beginning of the league; I won’t divulge the details, but it was quite amusing. They presented a slide showing one interpretation, while we had another perspective. Often, what we see as nothing is viewed as a foul and a red card by the referee.”

Fully committed to Manolo González’s strategy: “The team is fully convinced of the coach’s ideas and the technical staff’s vision. We are pushing forward together.”

On his individual performance this season: “I don’t believe I’ve single-handedly earned points for the team; that is a collective effort. Manolo has borne the weight of responsibility. He is the one who decides the starting eleven.”

Key points for the match against Alavés: “We need to score one more goal than our opponents; a 1-0 victory would suffice, even if it comes in the 90th minute from a penalty. We know Alavés will make the match difficult, as they play as a cohesive unit. We must win; there are no alternatives. It will be very challenging, but we need to secure the victory.”