Diego Martínez: "The most important thing is not the names on the back of our shirts, but the badge we are going to defend."
UD Las Palmas' head coach, Diego Martínez, spoke to the media in a press conference before the team’s second-to-last training session at the Ciudad Deportiva, ahead of their match against Valencia CF.
The coach began by saying, "I’ve seen a very professional squad, aware of the situation, and eager to turn results around and improve day by day. To win a match, you need many things. We are going to focus on what we can control."
Here are some of his statements:
"I don’t like to focus too much on individuals. We have a trip ahead and two training sessions. Some players have made a big effort to be available. The most important thing is not the names but the badge we are going to defend. Everyone is necessary and important."
"On Monday, we start a long journey, and we need to ignore external noise and focus on ourselves."
"The team’s positioning is very important both when we have the ball and when we don’t. We need to improve defensively, and for me, the key is that the team believes in its strengths."
"I try to praise each player. When you’re a coach, your players’ self-esteem is very important. Everyone will have the chance to show what they can do."
"The star is the team. We are in a very difficult situation. Alberto Moleiro has a great growth mentality, and he has worked very well, just like the rest of the squad."
"Valencia is a great team. I want us to be prepared for everything, set pieces, potential goal-scoring situations…"
The UD Las Palmas coach spoke ahead of the match against Valencia CF, which will take place at Mestalla.