Real Oviedo Head Coach Cuco Ziganda appeared in the Press Room at El Requexón today ahead of the final match of the season.
Fully-immersed in preparations for the encounter with Tenerife, the Coach began by analysing the state of the squad. "They are doing well. Obviously it is the last week here for a lot of them. We will say goodbye after the trip to Tenerife, but for now we are training, relaxed, and don't have the tension we have had during the rest of the season. We have to finish with a good performance, we aren't just going there for the sake of it. We are going into it as seriously as we should, because our league position is at stake and we are up against an opponent in the same position as we are."
Regarding the fixture at the Heliodro Rodríguez López, Ziganda commented that "people talk a lot about 'cup finals' and important matches... we aren't talking about that kind of thing here. We know that it is the final game of the season and we have to enjoy it and play responsibly. We have to put in a performance worthy of this club."
With respect to the possibility of B team players getting game-time, Ziganda stated that "they will travel with us. We have players with suspensions. We will see how the game goes. At the moment I'm not thinking about them starting, but if circumstances mean it's necessary then it could happen."
Asked about his future and a possible contract renewal, the Gaffer highlighted that "when there is a final decision then we will all talk about it. With everything that has happened the timeframes have got longer. We are trying to settle down and adapt to this situation, and we hope that will allow us to begin to go back to working in a more normal manner. There is an idea and a plan. It is a draft with different possibilities. We all have obligations, but nothing is sealed yet. We don't have to start from scratch because we have an idea. We have to wait."
Finally, discussing how people are trying to overcome the difficult situation that has hit the club in recent days, Ziganda believes that "we have to keep pushing on. It was a terrible blow on an emotional level, but the hardest blow was for his family. That is permanent. We are sticking together. We love football and we are going to push forward. Life gives you these awful ordeals sometimes, but it goes on. We have to keep going out of respect for everybody. Arnau thought about football all day every day and that is what we are going to do. We are going to work for the club with the best intentions possible."
