The captain of Real Oviedo, Santi Cazorla, spoke before the first training session of the week at the sports facilities of El Requexón.
Before starting his press conference, the blue footballer began by dedicating a few words to Veljko Paunovic and his coaching staff: “I would like to thank the previous coaching staff. To Pauno, with whom I spoke personally yesterday to thank him for his work while we were together. He, Claudio, Nuno, Fortune, and Alberto are part of this story forever, and I wish them the best. It’s the least that can be done at a group level and as the first captain.”
Next, the Asturian commented on his physical condition ahead of the upcoming match against Espanyol: “My knee is better, today I’m starting to do things on the field, and I hope the sensations are good so I can be ready for Friday. I’ve been dealing with problems and pain, especially when I got injections against Barcelona and Levante. This break has been very good for me, and hopefully, I can be available on Friday.”
Asked about the rumors that emerged last week regarding Veljko Paunovic’s departure, Santi Cazorla was blunt, stating, “I wasn’t going to talk about this; I understand it’s giving a minute of glory to those who make things up, but when it affects my family, things need to be made clear. I’ve been a professional for 22 years, and you can check wherever I’ve been, with presidents, sporting directors, that I’ve never had anything to do with a Club’s decisions. I should be judged as a footballer, whether I’m old or finished, which many probably think is true, but tarnishing my image is something I cannot allow because I’ve always tried to contribute in every way. It doesn’t hurt me, but certain comments have bothered me, especially when you haven’t done anything, and they affect the people I care about the most.”
Regarding the atmosphere and how the environment reacted to Luis Carrión’s arrival on the Oviedo bench, the Llanera native believes that “we have to keep going; it’s about achieving the goal. Above the players or the coach, whoever it may be, there’s a name that’s important, and that’s Real Oviedo. We all have to be united. Now with the mindset of trying to win on Friday at home with our people, working well to achieve it. The Club has bet on Luis, he’s a familiar face to everyone. He’s arrived with enthusiasm, ready to contribute and help the team keep growing. The teammates are happy and satisfied; now it’s time to support the coach, as has always been done. We have to look forward, contributing whatever we can.” Additionally, Santi Cazorla understands that “everyone is free to have their opinion, but we have two options: either we fight among ourselves or we stick together. I’m clear about it. Above any player or coach is the Club, and we have to look out for it. I’ve always said that the most important thing to achieve goals is unity. We’re going to suffer a lot this season, and if we’re not united, we’ll suffer even more. I don’t doubt the Real Oviedo fans. Hopefully, we can get three very important points on Friday. They deserve a lot of joy this year, after what it took to achieve it. They should enjoy the process.”
Asked about what Luis Carrión can bring to the team, the blue footballer highlights that “he’s been watching us, he believes there’s room for improvement in many aspects and also reinforcing things we were doing well with Paunovic. We have to find the balance to improve and be protagonists. I haven’t been able to be part of the day-to-day, but he believes we can improve in several aspects. Every coach has their way of seeing football; they want to put their stamp on the team. With Paunovic, we worked on certain things, and with Luis, we’ll work on others. We have to be prepared for what each coach wants; it’s about coming out stronger from it.”
Looking ahead to the clash against Espanyol, which will recall the match from two seasons ago to achieve promotion to the First Division, Santi Cazorla comments that “there are many memories, of course. Football moves on; that playoff has nothing to do with this Friday. Espanyol started well, and it’s a very difficult match. We can’t be playing finals in the ninth matchday, although every game is important. We have to add points because we need to stay in the category, but we can’t be playing finals so early.”
Finally, regarding the visit of Jesús Martínez, who will be accompanying the team for the match against Espanyol, the captain assures that “it’s very important that Jesús is here; he’s the one in charge, and having him close is important for everyone. Especially in a week of uncertainty, it brings calm. Hopefully, we can give him some joy and make the team recognizable,” he concluded.
