Joaquín Caparrós assesses the match on Saturday, 23 April against Real Sociedad SAD in this way. On Friday, 22 April, following the training session behind closed doors, he offered his usual press conference, despite the fact that no newspapers will be published on the day of the match this means that his opinions could be echoed in Friday’s conference.
The way he sees it, Saturday’s match “is a very important match for us and though it’s a derby against a very nearby rival, what’s important is the three points. Both teams need these albeit to obtain distinctive objectives. For us to consolidate our place in fifth spot and for them to get out before things get hot. During many stages of the season it’s been tough for us to win away from home and now that we have won two matches in a row it’s time to make the most of what was achieved against Osasuna and, along the way, to become strong at home again”.
Will the bookings change the team’s appearance: “The bookings and in general the referee’s decisions, being more or less right, are another part of the competition, the same things happen to other teams during other matches and we will have to cope with it. In our case it can only be said that the team that leaps onto the pitch, just as it should be, must be competitive and that the confidence that I have in each and every one of the players is complete. We have a squad in which all the players are always prepared to work hard as you can see when the players in the line up train. It’s a luxury”.
Out of all the appeals made with regards to the bookings only one against Iker Muniain which has been lodged at the CEDD is going ahead. In the Referee’s match report it talks about the celebration of his goal with arms up high, the Competition Committee sanctioned him because they said the ref couldn’t see the play in its entirety but in the Appeal it states that he only lifted his hand (during a couple of seconds) to his outer ear. The coach explained why: “As I mentioned before it’s part of the game, but that doesn’t mean that we should not defend our legitimate interests. It’s the clearest and also because it seems inconceivable that the celebration of a goal in the last minute of the match, which resulted in three very important points for the team, by a player is cautionable. Things are bad if we book a player for celebrating a goal and even more so as every Sunday there are dozens of similar celebrations that are left as just that, celebrations”.
Finally we asked him about the rival: “I think that they are having a good season. For any newly promoted team their first season is the most demanding, one that requires adaptation to the division and I believe that thanks to their classy players and their magnificent coach they’re achieving this. We hope that after this match they can obtain the points they need to stay alive. Anyway, it’s us who has to get our form back at home, despite whoever the opponent is. Besides, it’s going to be a match with a magnificent ambience because I think that the fans have bought all the tickets and they’re going to get into the match”.