It is the opportunity of a lifetime. Everybody know this. But that doesn't mean Manolo González, Espanyol's new coach, is shaking his legs. After several days in office and now calm, the man from Folgoso do Courel is aware of where he is and why he has come, but he remains calm before his debut against Zaragoza.
"I've been working all my life to play these types of games," said the coach with some solemnity, who insisted that he is not "nervous," but "motivated and eager."
Although he has never trained at this level, González has taken on the challenge of replacing Ramis with complete naturalness. "If I didn't feel prepared I wouldn't have taken it. How can I say it so that people don't think I'm unconscious? I know that the context and impact of the game is different."
In any case, the new coach did not hide that he expects a complex duel in La Romareda: "I imagine a complicated match, plus they have a new coach (Víctor Fernández has taken over the team this week), charismatic and experienced."
González insists on the impeccable commitment of his players to the mission of promotion and valued positively that Nico Melamed is already training normally. "I have seen the players well, aware of the importance of the team's promotion. Tomorrow I hope to see different things and the intention is for the team to go out and win each game," he explained.
Regarding the growth of the block, Manolo González did not hide that he has had to "synthesize" the concepts, since the time he has had is "reduced." In any case, the coach advanced that although "what matters is the immediate", he does not give up on "improving" tactical details for the next games.
