Vicente Moreno: «These players deserve to enter European competition»

Osasuna’s coach has assessed the season and the possibilities for tomorrow’s match against Alavés

Osasuna’s coach, Vicente Moreno, appeared in a press conference ahead of the match against Alavés (Saturday, May 24, Mendizorrotza, 9:00 p.m.), the last of the season. «I believe that it does depend on us, in the sense that we need to win the match, so it is clear that it depends on what we do in tomorrow’s game and that is what I have conveyed to the players,» he emphasized about the chances of qualifying for European competition. «We are here today because there has been a spectacular job, especially by the players, that gives us the opportunity to enter Europe. There is a push from the fans every week that has helped us be in the position we are currently in, which means that we are here because of what we have done previously. No one has given us the 51 points and put us in this situation. It would be somewhat the same, tomorrow no one will give us anything, tomorrow we have to win our match, we have to make things happen, and that’s why I say it depends on us. The rest? The rest is not up to us,» he explained.

In this sense, he stressed that «we are going to play our match, we are going to give it our all because I believe it would be a spectacular season finale at all levels and in the end I think, as I have said throughout the season, we want to please our people so much, we want to do things right for them, we have this possibility and we want to do it for them.» Thus, he emphasized that for him, «winning tomorrow’s match would be ecstasy. Obviously, we can sweeten it a bit more afterwards, but I am going to stick with that, that we win our match and from there I believe we will have fulfilled and I always say that usually people who deserve it tend to be rewarded. So I trust that we will.»

Thanks to the fans and the club

Asked in the press conference about how he feels in the last days at Osasuna, the Massanassa coach valued that «what I take away above all is that one can have an idea of things when they are outside and I already said in the first press conference that everything that reached us, those inputs, were positive at all levels, but when one experiences it, they can attest to it.» «I insist that it would be a good way to end the season, to thank all the fans for the treatment they have had with us, I also refer to the individual treatment they have had with me, especially since the first day I arrived, with respect, I would even dare to say with affection even in personally difficult times,» he added.

«It would also be a way to thank the club. In the end, many people who work at the club travel daily, people who lead like the president and executives who have also had an exquisite treatment, very affectionate, and today I want to thank them all, especially the president but also all the executives who travel every week with the team. Then also especially to the players, I have been saying at the end of each match when we have won how happy and satisfied I am because the players have a reward and these players deserve to enter European competition, they deserve it for their work and for who they are, I have truly told them that it is one of the best locker rooms I have had and by far, with values, with a work culture, with a responsibility towards the club. Especially, I wanted to send that thanks to Braulio and Cata because they believed in us at the time and have given us the opportunity to experience what the Osasuna family is, that has made us carry this badge, this shirt with great pride, representing this club is something we take with us,» he concluded.