Diego Martínez: “Three games a week is a major challenge for this club”

Analysis of the Vitoria team. “Alavés have three forwards with great potential, complements and a great aerial game. They have experience, overflow on the outside and good set pieces. It will be of maximum demand. Winning or losing depends on the details and we hope you are on our side. The first, and most important, is that you cannot associate a game system with a team being more or less offensive. We have lived it in our flesh. We have played with three center-backs to overcome a Cup tie, also in the second half of the League, with good offensive numbers. Beyond nuances, Alavés has two forwards with great potential, plus another on the bench. They are complementary, with good passing game. The system favors this. They play well on the outside, they have a great set pieces and it will be a highly demanding match. The line between winning and losing is small “.

European hangover. “I still can't comment on the physical condition of Kenedy and Domingos, we will assess after training. I am delighted with everyone's attitude, their predisposition, but it is a situation of time, patience and fitting in. From the attitude and positivity everything is much better. We have a path that begins, complex, and it is important to maintain the current mentality ”.

What do you think of Tblisi's Lokomotiv, the next European rival? I only think of Alavés. There has to be all our energy, a difficult and complex game. Winning is complicated and the focus has to be on it. Maybe on Monday they will confine us or something like that. We cannot value something that is so far away. All the energy must be in what is coming this Sunday. Present, and that we enjoy the moment ”.

Moral aspect. “Hopefully this question will be asked many times, because there will be three games during the week. When we went to Valladolid last year at the beginning of the League, we thought about how we were going to do it. Then came the challenge of the Cup and now this one. It will always be like this. I ask my players not to have an emotional hangover. Focus on the present. This will bring out our best version. The moment it is not like that, we will have problems ”.

There will be changes? “The important thing is the team, it is above all. We are not talking about need, reserve or prioritize. Does not exist. We draw the eleven best players for that specific match based on the information we have and compete to the fullest. Work the parties, needing everything from everyone. We have to get used to this new way of acting, with three duels. We will think that whoever is left out when things don't go well is the one who had to play. In Europe, above we do not have five changes to refresh. What I am clear about is that the most important thing will continue to be the team ”.

Demanding season. “We have a long, exciting and hard road and the best thing is the mentality that is having so far. Three games a week is a major challenge for this club. The team is the most important thing, even above the coach. “

About protocols. “The Coaches Committee made a statement. Respecting the principles of health, we must develop our functions in a natural way. Most of the time it went well. Now we have to adapt, being aware of this difficulty. The UEFA protocol is different, for example. What all the technicians want is normality respecting the principles of health ”.