Elche's coach, José Rojo ‘Pacheta’, was convinced this Wednesday that his team will compete in the tie against Real Zaragoza to play the final for promotion to First Division. The first leg is played this Thursday at the Martínez Valero and the return, on Sunday at La Romareda.
The Burgos, in a telematic press conference, assured that Elche only “focused” on the first game against the Maño team and not on the overall tie and admitted that the experience of part of the squad, who already played two years ago A promotion phase to Second can be positive.
“Our virtue is not to look beyond the closest match,” said Pacheta, who admitted that the loss of Colombian Luis Suárez at Zaragoza is important.
The coach played down the fact that his team lost both games to the Maño team during the season and stated that Elche should not make mistakes “because if you are not brilliant a big team punishes you hard.”
Pacheta said that Elche is aware of what is being played, something that gives it “confidence and faith” and highlighted Nino's motivation, which he valued is “an example for everyone.”
The Elche coach admitted that he would have liked to play this tie with an audience in the stadium “because football belongs to the fans.”
“It is true that La Romareda squeezes, but Martínez Valero also. We are going to miss our fans a lot, “said the coach, who despite everything said that his team has already adapted” to competing in strange and difficult situations.
Pacheta reiterated that “illusion” is the engine of Elche and praised the quality of the costumes at his command, noting that “in front of a group like this the coach just has to not bother and help as much as he can.”
The coach recalled that the initial objective was not to “go up to First” but he guaranteed that the team is now “prepared” and that it will be a “very tough” opponent in the playoff.
“We are aware and we know the history that Elche has behind its back and that motivates us to pass this first round,” explained the Castilian, who acknowledged that he would have liked more a promotion between the four teams in a single match and in a single venue .
“We have spent two months in confinement, one of individualized training, another of competing on Sunday and Wednesday and three more weeks without knowing if we were going to play. You have to put yourself in the skin of the human being and this cannot stand it. There is a lot of pressure and tension, it becomes very hard ”, he concluded.