The coach of Espanyol, Diego Martínez, stated this Wednesday at the press conference prior to the match against Osasuna, that his team faces a "complicated field" and pointed out that "a highly demanding sports battle" awaits him.
The Galician coach, who led Osasuna in 2017-18, stressed that the Blue and Whites face a "very tough challenge against a very strong rival". In addition, he praised the stability of the host club and its commitment to the long term: "It is exemplary and it is good to value it because it has a lot of merit".
The person in charge of the blue and white bench insisted that this clash is "very different" from all those that have been deputy until now and that is why he asked for "extreme attention". "We must be very intense in individual duels and we need the personality that we have managed to have on the ball at times," he added.
On the other hand, Diego Martínez advanced that there are several soccer players, without specifying more, with a stomach virus, something that worries him: "We don't know how many minutes they may have. You don't know how that can affect the muscles and resistance and more in a duel like this, which will be intense and with rhythm".
On the emotional level, the coach confessed that the victory against Valladolid (1-0) has given wings to the group. "When you win, the state is different. We need it because the team was tremendously exhausted from the effort. That should give us not only confidence, but motivation to work harder," he said.
Finally, Diego Martínez fondly recalled his time at Osasuna in the 2017-18 season, in which the team finished eighth in the Second Division: "It was very nice. I lived a lot with people with whom we will hug tomorrow. For me it was a very enriching year."
