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Martínez: “We come from the anger and pain from last time out”
The coach previews the final match before the World Cup break
Diego Martínez looked ahead to Saturday’s Copa del Rey match against CD Rincón at the pre-match press conference.
RCD Espanyol travel to Andalusia this weekend to begin their cup campaign, aiming to end on a high in the final match before the World Cup break. Speaking at the RCDE Stadium the coach addressed the media ahead of the weekend’s first round tie.
Martínez said, “Tomorrow we have a new opportunity to keep growing. We are very excited, although we come from the anger and pain of last time out [against Villarreal] and even more so if it is repeated.”
Espanyol meet Rincón of the sixth tier and will play at the 30,000-seater Estadio La Rosaleda in Málaga. “It is an exciting tournament,” the coach said of the Copa del Rey, “but I don't have a specific cup goalkeeper and I don't believe in rotations. I put out what I consider the best XI.”
The coach continued, “It is a beautiful competition and we want to win [tomorrow]. We have to focus on the fact that it is a match that is as exciting as it is complex. As a coach I've been through many knockout rounds and I know that to get through, you have to suffer.”
This will be Espanyol’s third match in six days, capping off an intense run of fixtures to conclude the first half of the season. Speaking about the challenge of a cup tie against a lower-league opposition, the míster insisted that it would not be a walk in the park.
Martínez concluded, “They are not easy games despite the difference in league levels. Respect for the rival is the most important thing as well as the concentration to move forward.
“It is a knockout tournament and one match, even more so, there are always surprises. We have maximum attitude and concentration, as well as respect for the opponent.”