MADRID, 19 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Levante’s coach, Javier Calleja, harshly criticized the referee’s performance during the defeat this Wednesday of the granota team against Atlético de Madrid in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey, while highlighting the character of his team, capable of compete against “one of the best teams in LaLiga”
“The referee has been key in some plays, all against us. In the goal that annuls us, contact is minimal. He is very clear about it, while in the nudge against Álex he is not so clear about it. Those two plays have gone in against us. Despite that, we lost because Atlético was more successful. Then there is another play in a very clear throw-in in which they are also wrong. We have had to eat it again”, said the coach at a press conference.
Calleja confessed to being “annoyed” by the defeat, although he recognized the good work of his players. “I’m leaving annoyed because I don’t like to lose and even more so when we play the way we’ve done. What I see on the field matters to me, not what’s in front of us. We played a very serious game, facing one of the best teams in LaLiga and making merits to have passed,” he said.
“Winning is always impossible, it hurts to lose, but you also have to analyze how you lose. We lost against the fourth-placed team in the league. I think we have to keep the positive things and erase this to turn the page and focus on going up to the First Division” he added.