The echoes of the stick that Las Palmas took last night at the Gran Canaria Stadium still resonate in Siete Palmas, where a formidable Tenerife, in its style, deservedly took on this fratricidal duel between Canarian teams in the playoff for promotion to the First Division. The two stars of the Gran Canaria team exemplified it in different ways, two very different ways of exercising leadership in the locker room.
“The locker room is very screwed up,” said Jesé Rodríguez behind the scenes once the game is over, already cold, to the cameras of Movistar. “Professionally, for me it is a very sad day. It is also for the fans and my teammates”, insisted the attacker from Gran Canaria, who claims to have the “clear conscience” in this bitter farewell course: “Things can be better or worse for you, but I have given my best. My conscience is clear”.
In any case, did not waste the opportunity to target García Pimienta, with whom his performance dropped greatly, when analyzing the keys to the defeat against Tenerife. “The coach makes decisions that sometimes I may like more, and sometimes less. For me, today was wrong.” confessed the 10 of Las Palmas, replaced at rest by Benito. It went even further: “We needed attacking people because we had to go and score goals. but in the end the coaches make decisions. It’s clear that I didn’t like it, but it is what it is”.
Likewise, Jesé’s continuity at UD seems more difficult every day. Not only because of the offer from another team that he already has, but because of his own way of proceeding. “Now it is difficult to think about my future. We will speak with the club, which I have a lot of affection for”, said. Nor is it that he was going to continue to mediate a proposal from Las Palmas: “I would have to think about it and think about it. I would like to achieve great things here, where there is also a lot to improve”.
“It was a slab”.
Nor did he hide last night Jonathan Viera before the Movistar cameras. Injured before the break, he couldn’t do more. “I broke down in the first minutes of the first part. I have tried to continue but it was a burden for the team and it was better that another teammate was there”, revealed.
Carlos Diaz-Recio (Daily AS)
The Las Palmas captain did not hesitate to recognize the merits of Tenerife. “They have been better than us in the first leg and in the second leg. We have to congratulate them and wish them good luck.” Vera assured. This is how he summed up last night’s 1-2: “With the 0-1 we still had options to be there, but a 0-2, with all the people focused, made it more complicated. They lock themselves up well behind, they know what they’re playing. If they get lower on the scoreboard it costs them more, but if they get higher it’s a screwed up team and it’s difficult to get their hands on it”. Not a single reproach.
Likewise, he refused to justify any part of the defeat in the González Esteban’s controversial refereeing performance: “It may be that I should have drawn a few more cards from them. But now talking about the referee and the cards, I think he would be an advantage. Tenerife has been better than us”.
UD’s 21 also wanted to go to the stands of the Gran Canaria Stadium, who did not stop cheering for his team, much less in defeat. “I’m more sorry for them than for us,” revealed. In any case, she threw a clear message with the highest aspirations for next season: “They were very excited, but this is football. Look how people are. That means that the team has done a good job during the year, and people appreciate it. I know it’s a sad day for everyone, for me the first. I tell them to calm down, that here the one who fails does not fail but the one who does not try. And we’re going to try next year.”
Viera also referred to his statements last Wednesday, which raised so much dust. “I see a lot of partying here. We are waiting for you on Saturday in Gran Canaria”, he said in the Heliodorus. Nothing could be further from his intention no matter how much he tried to pervert a message with a single destination. A way to put peace where the bullies wanted to see a eurra that did not exist: “I wanted to encourage my people. The one who has taken it badly in the other hobby… It was not my intention. I wanted to encourage my people. I wanted this (he looks at the stands of the Gran Canaria Stadium). And if it bothered anyone, I’m so sorry. It was not my intention; I did not disrespect Tenerife and I will never disrespect it. It’s a neighboring team.”
