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“We do not doubt ourselves”
José Gragera previews the trip to his former side Sporting de Gijón on Saturday
Saturday’s trip to Sporting de Gijón will be a special occasion for José Gragera, returning to his former team that shaped him as a footballer.
The midfielder signed for Espanyol at the start of 2023 from Sporting, where he rose through the academy to make almost a century of appearances. Now back at El Molinón in the white-and-blue shirts, he is excited yet focused for this weekend’s reunion.
Gragera said, “It is a unique week for me. I am returning home to my former team, where I grew up and really enjoyed my football. I have had this match marked on the calendar since the fixtures came out, and I am very excited to return to Gijón. I have friends and family there and the reception I get has always been magnificent”.
As much as it will be a special occasion for the midfielder, it remains an important game in Espanyol’s hunt for promotion. They sit second after last week’s defeat to Leganés, which Gragera insists has not knocked the team off their course.
He explained, “It must serve to strengthen us and make us stronger. We do not doubt ourselves. We are going to death with our values, and we are training hard to get the three points; we have no doubts”.
On his former team Sporting, Gragera warned, “They are a very tough opponent at home, because of how the fans push them on, but we have to go with a fixed idea and try to get the win. They have a lot of potential, out wide, in attack and defensively. For us it is an extra motivation, we must go with the mentality of getting the three points.”
He concluded by praising the Espanyol fans, who have been in strong numbers at every game this season in the second tier. Gragera concluded, "They have been great despite these kick-off times that have not been so kind. There are still 30 league games left and we have to see where to improve and what to learn from the defeats”.