Two feelings shook Luis García, the Espanyol coach, tonight.
On the one hand, disappointment. On the other, anger.
Shaken by both feelings, it is not easy to conjugate a leisurely speech. Before the press, in the bowels of Mestalla, Luis García lamented the performance of his team, perhaps not so much yesterday, but for a good part of the season. But, above all, he charged against the arbitration institutions.
“Espanyol has not been relegated due to the decisions of the last two games (he was referring to Atleti's ghost goal in Cornellà, and also to some decisions last night, at Mestalla). We cannot hide, Espanyol has not been relegated just because of this type of decision, but some have marked the last two games and we cannot keep quiet or hide. It is incredible that this happens in one of the best leagues in the world. Today, the foul on Martin (Braithwaite) is a foul."
And then he took a breath, before adding: “But beyond that, more amazing is César Montes' goal action (it would have been 1-3), who jumps more than the goalkeeper and scores. We are the first to look at ourselves and improve. But it hurts to see how the dressing room is, that the soul has been left ”.
“It is one of the hardest days of my career as an athlete, because I have a great feeling for this club and it is a very sad day. This team has given its soul for something that we have not been able to achieve, but we must show enough mental strength to start building the Espanyol that we want to be in the future. It is a time to take the bull by the horns and grow and be the Espanyol we want to be”, concluded the blue and white coach, whose speech was echoed by the dressing room.
“Today's game has been the reflection of the season. It is difficult to say this after 38 days because surely we have done many things wrong to get here but from the maximum self-criticism I think that we do not deserve it in this way. Again things that do not depend on us harm us. Again ”, lamented Sergi Darder.
The blue and white captain apologized to his fans, before saying goodbye to the category: “We have too big a shield and in many moments we have not represented it. I am the first that is very screwed but we will return ”.
