DIEGO ALONSO: "WE HOPE TOMORROW IS THE TURNING POINT"

Diego Alonso began by addressing the events that transpired on Tuesday in Lens: "The blow of going out of Europe was hard for the players, the club and the fans, because it is something we were obviously aiming for, to go through in Europe. But we have to pick ourselves up quickly and try to get the team to start getting results and be in Europe again next season. We have to keep our heads up for what's coming and focus on what's next, which is tomorrow's game."

Regarding his situation and that of the team, the head coach acknowledged feeling "confident, both in my work, in myself and in the players, as well as in what we have done in recent matches and how we have played. Not in the results, which have not been good enough and I won't hide from that. But, having seen the team play, I've seen how much we have improved, and that we have deserved to win most of our matches. Football hasn't been kind to us, but we have to keep pushing. The fans are motivated because they will always support their club and the badge. What we have to bring them is joy and satisfaction, which we have not been able to do yet, aside from the cup matches. It is up to us to give the fans victories, peace of mind and happiness. It is up to us. We ask nothing of them in return."

"Being knocked out of Europe was tough to take, but we have to bounce back quickly"

When asked if he had had any contact with the board, Alonso replied that "I have not talked about anything other than the confidence they have in me and my work. Obviously we need to win in order to boost everyone's confidence. We have to continue working as we have been doing and look for results in order to have stability on an individual and collective level. All the outside noise does not distract me or the team. We are focused on what we can influence and that is on the pitch and in training. We will go for the victory, as we have done every game so far. It has somehow eluded us so far. Let's hope that tomorrow will be a before and after moment, because we have seen an upturn in performance, now we need results."

In addition, he reinforced his recognition of the importance of the win: "If the results are not there... in football, results are fundamental. In my case, I can't play the betting game, but simply prepare as much as possible to try and win. It's true that results can give you stability, but what makes you win is knowing why you are winning. You have broken down each match in your analysis. We didn't win, but we deserved to and football has been cruel. I don't believe in luck, I believe in work. We work to win tomorrow, Tuesday and Saturday. The important thing is not that you fall, but how many times you get up. There are signs of improvement and we have to get results. For that, we have to keep pushing."

"There have been signs of improvement and now it's time to convert that into results"

Regarding Ramos and his statements after the Lens-Sevilla game, the head coach avoided any controversy, assuring that "I respect those who were there, who stood up for themselves the other day alongside ten professionals and with the guys who were with us. I view it from that perspective, not from the point of view of those who were not there". As for the chances of qualification for Europe next season, he insisted that "I don't see why we can't. Besides, there is another competition in which we are still fighting for success, which is the cup, and that is another route to qualification. We are going to look to achieve both." From there he went on to address the absentees: "We have Januzaj and Marcao back with us, as well as Ocampos who was suspended and Suso. He looks good to go. He has trained after returning from France and has been active and in good shape. We are counting on him for tomorrow."

On the main targets, Alonso was clear: "We need to be more effective and more clinical. Efficiency is something you can work on in training and that's what we've been doing. We are a team that generates a lot of chances and over time we have added more strings to our bow. We are a threat out wide because of our wingers and fullbacks. But we also have players who can shoot from distance and we have been trying to play more in the half spaces. Sometimes it's difficult, but we have been improving, especially in the last two games. But what we need to improve, above all, is potency. We have to take our chances because we create more opportunities than our opponents."

Finally, the head coach was asked about the chances of retaining three central defenders in the lineup: "It's a possibility, as is a back four. For me, it's not the most important thing. If the other day with three central defenders Kike Salas played on the left, that shows we have options. That is more important than the formation itself. I wouldn't say that Getafe is a defensive team. They are a good team, well drilled and well trained and they are very tough. We know what gameplan they will bring and we have to be prepared to match their intensity and play our own way." Alonso rounded off by speaking about Jordán: "He has a knock he suffered two or three weeks ago. He was able to play in the Copa del Rey, in Mallorca, but not in Lens. That's all I can tell you. I haven't been able to talk to him in the last few days about his state of mind. Only about the injury. I imagine that all the players want to be available. It's difficult to make an assessment beyond that."