CASTRO: "AFTER THE DRAW AT HOME, WE NEED A GOOD RESULT HERE"

José Castro spoke to journalists shortly after arriving in Eindhoven tomorrow night against PSV: "We have to feel good. Following our draw at home [against Lens, we need a good result to help us qualify for the next round. It's an opportunity to keep progressing, to hopefully make it to the round of 16, something we've not done for a while, although it wasn't too long ago we were in the quarter finals. This year we are quite ambitious and want to go as far as possible. The team has been going from strength to strength since the close of the transfer window. You can see it on the pitch, in our defensive solidity and the correction of the things that made us underperform at the start of the season."

The club president was also asked about 'Caso Negreira' and the breakdown in relations with FC Barcelona: "Publicly, I've received lots of messages of support from other clubs in the first and second divisions. We have a clear stance and know there is no place for these alleged offences in our game. We don't know the final verdict, but these charges have been levelled at them for some reason and money has been paid. Bribing referees is not acceptable and we must defend the honour of our league and our fans. We learned the other day that 7.5 million euros had been paid to an official, which is a very serious matter. 

"It seems more fair to say so, instead of pretending that nothing is happening in the directors' box"

Castro insists that it is not the public backing from other clubs: "Whether or not it is done publicly is not what matters. In [FC Barcelona's] return statement, [Joan] Laporta says that he explained everything to LaLiga. In reality, he only said they would prove their innocence, without further explanation. We will raise our voice without fear because we are confident in our position. Let the judge makes their verdict, but we have to speak out. Everyone in LaLiga has criticised them for this and they are aware of it. It seems more fair to say so, instead of pretending that nothing is happening in the directors' box. I am much less concerned about the breakdown of relations than about the problem itself. It's very serious to pay a referee. What's the point?"

On the consequences for the reputation of the league, he commented that "the LaLiga directors, who have worked so hard to make the brand so powerful in the world, cannot allow these violations. It has to be cleaned up for the sake of the competition itself. So far nothing has happened, but I suppose the law will take its course. There have been payments and that is enough for us to criticise them.