MENDILIBAR: "EVERYONE WANTS TO PLAY IN THESE TYPES OF MATCHES"

José Luis Mendilibar spoke this afternoon ahead of the Gran Derbi. A game in which the team will be in good spirits, but which will, of course, be physically demanding: "I think that the good aspects of what we have are better than the bad ones. I've said it many times. We focus on being mentally well, winning and doing well, rather than the physical problems. Now there are a few complaints. Everyone wants to play in these games and I'm going to have problems because there are going to be people looking to play through their discomfort and that's not the right thing to do." After stating that everyone will be in the squad with the exception of Marcao, Nianzou and Jordán, he also confirmed that Tecatito will not be in the starting line-up.

He also spoke about the opposition's style of play: "Betis don't just play with the ball from the back, they also know how to play direct and with counter-attacks. If they get the ball in the opposition half, they do more damage. Their coach is quite intelligent and he'll know what's going to be difficult for us. I don't think it's going to be a game where one side comes out from the back and the other side presses all the time. I think there will be variables in the game. I can tell you I'd like them to come out and play and then it doesn't work out. You never know. I hope we get it right, don't deviate too much and play our own game. We have to know our opponents to know what they can do to us, their individual characteristics and that's it. It's possible to change players and tactics, but I'm not expecting it to vary too much from what both of us usually do."

"Betis don't just play with the ball from the back, they also know how to play direct"

As for the importance of the match, Mendilibar says: "Nobody gives anything away and nobody says that this match doesn't matter. They all matter. Betis are coming up and we have to try and beat them. They're feeling good because they've had a quiet week, and so are we because the most important thing is the mental aspect and we'll have to see what's most important. Preparing for the whole week or the mood of the team."

And as for what he sees, he commented that "I don't go out much and even less now, as the first four days of the week have been dedicated to a knockout match. There was yesterday, today and tomorrow. Yesterday I went out a bit but they didn't drive me crazy, I was calm. I know what it's like for you because everyone tells me as soon as I walk down the street. But with all that, I'm not going to vary much from what I've been doing so far, because I think it's the best thing to do."

"Just as you can go up, you can go down and you have to keep your feet on the ground at all times"

On whether he has changed the way he sees the Gran Derbi as an insider: "It's different to see it from afar than it is here and to be here for the days beforehand. There are not so many matches with such a big rivalry. Normally one city team has always dominated the other. I think it feels like there is more rivalry than there actually is, because at the end of the day you are family. You can't be at war with each other all year. Maybe this week it's OK, but I think you get along better than people say."

Finally, he spoke of the affection that the fans have shown for him: "It's the results. When we were losing to Espanyol at half-time they told us that we had already lost two in a row. I wasn't born yesterday. Just as you can go up, you can go down and you have to keep your feet on the ground at all times. It's been two months, and in two and a half months we're going to play 17 games, which is almost half of the season. In such a short time it seems like we've played more. Everything has gone so quickly and everything has gone so smoothly.... You put me here, but I know that the next one will come too. I hope we finish the season well and keep winning. You enjoy it when it's over. While you're at it, you don't have time."