Real Oviedo defender Alejandro Arribas today appeared in the Press Room at El Requexón, responding to the questions put to him by members of the media.
What does it mean to you to be one of the Oviedo captains? Is it a pride and a responsibility to have been chosen by your teammates?
I'm proud that my teammates voted for me. It was done in the same way as last season, with all of our teammates up for the captaincy, a voting process, and the four most voted-for players were chosen. We all wanted to be captains, we agreed to be them, and for me it is a pride and a responsibility. I hope to meet the standards of the club and of my teammates. I will work for that.
How did the agreement for Tejera to wear the armband come about?
Tejera had worn it since the lockdown, given that Saúl (Berjón) and Nereo (Champagne) weren't playing. Sergio did well and the team did too. The coaching staff and us captains believe that if things are going well then we shouldn't change them, and the team is the most important thing. He's earned it, he deserves it. He stepped up to the front after the lockdown.
We can see that there is a clear idea for play, both at home and away.
The team is working well. The pitch didn't help the other day, but the team is doing things well. We have to continue on the same path as last season and not concede many goals. We are improving in attack.
What did Mirandés do well or Oviedo do badly for the start of the second half to be so different from the first half?
It started to rain a lot, the pitch didn't help, and we didn't read the way to play the game until after they'd scored. The team went after the match, went for the equaliser, and we got it. It's a good point at a tough ground.
Has this been your best period at Real Oviedo? Both on a morale and a footballing level?
There was a change on a mental level following the lockdown, which was reinforced by the arrival of the Coach. I feel important and happy. There was an adaptation period and I am trying to improve with each match.
What does the Coach ask you for on the pitch?
He asks us defenders to keep clean sheets and then to contribute in attack. Winning our duels is important so as not to give a chance to the opponent, given that there are very good forwards in this division.
This matchday sees Espanyol arrive, with Raúl de Tomás up front. Would it be a mistake to base the play around stopping him? Has the Coach spoken about him with the centre backs?
Espanyol is not just about Raúl de Tomás, they have a lot of very good players. It's a very complete team, which has kept a lot of top-division players. We are expecting a difficult match, but anything can happen in the Segunda. We are prepared and motivated to get the three points.
What do you think Nahuel, Leschuk and Aburjania can bring to the team?
I've not seen a lot of Aburjania and Gustavo, but Nahuel is doing well and gives us some important things in attack. All of the new players are going to bring us important things.
What do you think of the comments made by your former coach?
That's the example he wants to give and I'm not going to drop to his level. The numbers are there to see, and with Ziganda we were one of the best teams. We had a bad time, we fought to the end, and the truth is that Ziganda made the team save itself. If not, everything would have been more difficult. The numbers speak for themselves and he's shown his true colours.