“Making club history is better than going to the Cup final”

The message that Imanol wanted to convey was clear and he did it repeatedly in the press conference before the match against Granada. Once eliminated from the Cup in the semifinals and from the Champions League in the round of 16 in Real’s terrible week, the goal is to qualify for Europe through the League: “The most important thing remains, making history at Real. This is our best option. It’s this year and it’s in our hands,” said the Real coach. And never before in its 114-year history has the Txuri Urdin squad made five consecutive appearances in Europe: “This is the best challenge of the three of us, making history with Real. I don’t regret that I went for in three “, Add.

It is understood that Real’s performance should improve in the last hurray in the League considering that they have a clean week to prepare for matches, although Imanol remember that “we are putting together what we have done all year and we have to put everything in context. There are 11 left, but they are not the 11 of the others, who have played 120 in the Cup and a match like one of us had in the Champions League.” La Real brought that backpack to carry out the “extremely exciting” goal of re-entering Europe: “For the fan, it’s better to go to the final of the Cup, and I like it too, but making history at the club is better than going to that final, at least for me as a coach and for the squad,” said the coach.

It is not selfish.

Despite this statement, when he had to ‘sacrifice’ a competition, in terms of the design of the starting ‘eleven’, Imanol has chosen LaLiga, perhaps because there is more room for maneuvering and mistakes: “I could have been selfish. What motivates me the most is that, to enter Europe again to make history. It would have been us. And we could I have sacrificed the Cup and the Champions League, but we played big, we went for all three with all the consequences. I don’t regret it.”

Needs improvement

Because of that fatigue and exhaustion, they will have a harder time going into the decisive phase in the League: “There are 11 left, we are in a good position. What we have to do in the Cup and in the Champions League will make a difference, but there are no excuses ,” he concluded. Imanol, who also delivered his message to the locker room: “I conveyed to them what it means to make history at this club. I think everyone understands it, those at home and those away. More going through the Champions League tie, more than going to the Cup final, making history is the greatest thing we can do,” he insisted. But for that, we have to push and improve because Real’s dynamics are very bad: “I have no idea that I have to keep putting out their eyes so that this ends in the best possible way,” advances the Oriotarra coach.

Having so many doubts now on the performance of the team, due to the somewhat reduced physical condition of some players “is the price and toll to be paid for being first in the Champions group and against which teams, if they played of the match against PSG and being close to a Cup final”; said Imanol. However, he is sure the team will react because “we have always grown in the face of adversity. There are players more or less affected, as in all clubs, since those games expose you to the maximum physically and mentally.”

There are many very young members and fans in Real who may have the wrong perception that this season is typical in the history of txuri urdin. Imanol qualified: “What we are doing is very difficult to do. It is unusual. It is true that, in recent years, Real has always been in European positions in the League and making steps in the Cup, this year very few entered the final , and against the Champions League. That is very special and has happened very few times in the history of Real. The aitas and the aitonas will respond to them better than me,” he said.

Yes, they feel valued

However, there is one fact that makes one think Imanol that the fans know how to appreciate the merit of what Real is doing: “That’s how I felt at the end of the day against PSG. The new generations have only lived at Real in European positions, winning the Cup and leading a Champions group with Inter and Benfica. And they, certainly, not much. But with a very high percentage, a lot of value is given here. And not only at home. Outside of Real and Gipuzkoa, a lot is given value, because it has .”

Believe it Imanol that the team will know how to accept the blows received and now only thinking about Granada, who have won one game in the last 24 in the League: “Granada has a team, risks, weaknesses. Much respect to all In their recent games they have created many chances, they are strong in transitions and brave when it comes to playing and pressing, with good, physically strong players,” said the coach.

the same pressure

The Nasrid team faces a stay that is already very complicated, and Real, to continue in Europe: “We have a lot of pressure. We want to enter Europe and for that we have to win. The pressure is the same, from them and from us “. In the opinion of Imanol“if we want to get into Europe, the only important thing is to win.”