The Deportivo Alavés coach, Javier Calleja, assured this Wednesday that they have “a lot of ambition and confidence” in the campaign that will begin in a month and he wanted to “make the best possible season and” that people get hooked, believe in the team, identify yourself and enjoy the football you watch ”.
The Alava coach, who took over the team ten days ago in a completely different situation than last year, analyzed in a telematic press conference the current situation of the babazorro team that is taking shape for the 2021-22 season that It will start on August 14 in Mendizorroza against Real Madrid.
“One situation has nothing to do with the other, so we came in a hurry, with the need to have immediate results and with little time to work,” said Calleja, who seeks to shape his staff based on his idea, but maintaining the club's identity.
He expressed that players with the ability to create are being incorporated because the team needs it, but he clarified that “we must continue to nurture the team with muscle and experience”, which is why he stressed that “all kinds of players” will arrive to “seek balance ”.
Javi Calleja was resounding in stating that his team must have “a winning mentality and that the players do not feel inferior to anyone” and at the same time that they seek to “take the initiative with an offensive mentality to score as many goals as possible” .
“This can be achieved with players of different profiles and I would like to have possible variants as a coach,” he added.
For now, the Madrilenian indicated that now the team has “a good base of everything” and on a physical level, in view of the first duel of the course against Real Madrid, he considered that “it is necessary to accumulate charges with intelligence and in an integrated way with the ball”. how he likes it.
The Albiazul coach was not concerned with the defeat of Alavés by 1-3 in the first duel of preparation against SD Logroñés because “there is a lot of time” and because he saw “positive things”.
In this match neither Joselu Mato nor the Japanese Taichi Hara played any minute. As reported by the Alava coach, the Galician did not jump onto the pitch due to some discomfort in the pubis and the Japanese had to travel to his country to resolve bureaucratic issues.
“Joselu is very important to me and one of the fundamental pieces in my project”, settled Calleja, who assumed that “if you have teams interested in him and an agreement is reached between all parties, solutions will be sought”.
He stressed that the new players are providing “enthusiasm, desire and work” and stressed that the final goal must be achieved “as a team” because he said “there will be no individualities.
He underlined the versatility of Iván Martín, whom he knows from his time at Villarreal, and appreciated his one-on-one and vision of the game. He also stated that Manu García “has the talent and creation” that the team lacked.
Regarding possible arrivals, he confessed that the Uruguayan Facundo Pellistri loved it when he met him last season and stated that he would like him to be in the team, but he belongs to Manchester United and the English team will have to decide what they think is convenient for the future of the team. player.
In this sense, he opined that they have to “sign players on each line”, in defense, in the center of the field, on the wing and in the most offensive zone to complete a balanced squad that can display the football that the team likes from Madrid.