Diego Martínez: “The team transmits many values ​​and is contagious”

Technician's appreciation. “It will be impossible for me to express in words the gratitude and praise that I feel towards my team. I have no words. What this team has done today, this victory, is tremendously important, especially because of the circumstances in which we arrived. On Thursday we managed to qualify for the knockout stages of the Europa League, we came back later because of the fog and we barely had two days to recover; this effort against a good rival like Elche has no words ”.

Overcoming burnout and absences. “The first half was very even and we did the most difficult, getting ahead, but they tied us in a rare play and in the second half we got up and went for the game, taking oil from where there was none because the fatigue was evident. There we had chances to score, with those of Fede Vico and Yangel Herrera as well as both Puertas, within a very competitive and very equal game that was very difficult to carry out. He was very overloaded with his hamstrings and we preferred to take him off the field to avoid a major injury, which we hope it will not be ”.

Key to victory. “In the second half we managed to recover in the rival field with better pressure after loss that gave us better situations. With this we have 41 games, and if we were able to repeat players (seven compared to Naples) it was because they rested last Sunday in Huesca. Beyond the result, we believe in a process, although there are things that we cannot control. The stress engineering to which I refer has to do with the work of many people. Despite this tremendous and long effort involved, the team goes to the games and wants to win, it gives what it has inside and transmits. We will give what we can as far as it goes “.

End of a losing streak of six games without a win. “Honestly, of course we wanted to win, but I don't give much importance to these streaks or dynamics when, if you analyze since January, we have been playing matches at a very good competitive level, reaching the eighth in Europe and fourth in the Cup. Let's go to the match, and the more you play, the more options there are to lose them; is a reality. But we are clear about our goal, which is to score all the points we can to stay in the First Division “.

Trouble at the end of the match. “It couldn't be that if we hadn't won Elche we would be very bad. We always want to win, although it is not always achieved; But when a team competes like this they always do it, even if they lose, they deserve confidence and positivism. Everyone has to be aware that what this team is doing is outrageous. From there, we want to scratch all the points we can, but it will be very difficult because you have to assemble a team every Sunday and it is not easy ”.

Excited with his team. “It transmits a lot of values ​​and is contagious. And I say it from the 'shit' of the bench in the last moments with each sprint, like those of Soldado or Vallejo at the end without being 100% … all for the team. They deserved the prize of victory ”.

Antonio Puertas' goal. “It was a very good and well-defined action, playing as a winger at the time. I wanted; in Naples I congratulated him on his game and he told me that he was missing the goal, that he had it in his head. I told him I would do it when I needed it most and to keep working like that. He has suffered a lot after passing the Covid-19, it has cost him to reach his best level again and I think this will help him ”.

Fede Vico. “He is not having a good year, difficult for him like the past with injuries, and it was decisive to win the game. Hopefully this impulse gives him confidence to help us in future matches like this one because we are going to need him », he thanked him. He wanted to be calmer, yes, with Domingos Quina. «You have to leave him 'alone' (a pun on his name). It is true that he has that quality of hitting, among other very good conditions, but also a lot to improve in many details, which is not easy with so few training sessions and the tactical variability of the team, even more in his position so that his automatisms are clear. . We are happy with his evolution, he has scored two goals and I hope it gives him confidence. When he plays he will have to do it at times because when he came he had not done it for a long time ”.