The 'rojiblancos', focused on picking themselves up against Athletic at the Calderón
Antonio López: “We have to win next Sunday”
Captain Antonio López was sincere in front of the reporters assembled in the mixed zone at El Molinón. “It should have been a 0-0 match because neither team really shot at goal. It was a very physical match, with lots of collisions and stoppages. We gave our all on every ball and on each play, but there wasn’t much football. The players are upset by this defeat because this was a key match to hold on to our chances. We have to go from match-to-match because the Club has set the goal of finishing in the top four at the end of league play and even though we know it’s going to be tough, we can’t drop our heads. Now we have to focus on the fixture against Athletic and we have to win it.”
Concerning the formula to accomplish their goal, Antonio López believes that “we have to stick together, be united, all row in the same direction, as we’ve always done and as we’re going to continue to do. Now the weeks are going to be longer, with one game every weekend and it’s going to be possible to work harder on correcting our mistakes. Sporting’s goal, more than an individual error, was bad understanding because there’s no reason to blame it on a single player. We’re a team in which we all win and we all lose.”
With respect to the big match-ups ahead, the captain emphasized the importance of the fact that most of them are to be played at the Calderón. “Backed by our supporters, we have to earn all of the points we can to reach that goal that we set for ourselves at the beginning of the season, knowing that it’s very complicated, but the truth is that we have to turn this situation around.”
Antonio López defended the work of Quique Sánchez Flores and the coaching staff. “This coaching staff has led Atlético de Madrid to two Cups and that has something to say about their hard work and sacrifice. We’ve always gone in the same direction and we’re not going to go off course now.”
Paulo Assunçao also appeared before the media after the encounter against Sporting. The central midfielder acknowledged that it had been “a tough match. Now we have to think about next Sunday’s fixture against Athletic. We have to forget about this loss as soon as possible and get ready for next weekend’s game. We were coming off a tough week, with three matches in seven days and the elimination at the hands of Real Madrid in the Cup. Nevertheless, we feel strong enough to accomplish our European goal. We’re aware that Champions is ten points away, but we have the entire second round to turn this situation around. We have to work, work and work to get back on the winning path and if we win three matches on the trot we’ll be closer once again.”
Concerning the formula to accomplish their goal, Antonio López believes that “we have to stick together, be united, all row in the same direction, as we’ve always done and as we’re going to continue to do. Now the weeks are going to be longer, with one game every weekend and it’s going to be possible to work harder on correcting our mistakes. Sporting’s goal, more than an individual error, was bad understanding because there’s no reason to blame it on a single player. We’re a team in which we all win and we all lose.”
With respect to the big match-ups ahead, the captain emphasized the importance of the fact that most of them are to be played at the Calderón. “Backed by our supporters, we have to earn all of the points we can to reach that goal that we set for ourselves at the beginning of the season, knowing that it’s very complicated, but the truth is that we have to turn this situation around.”
Antonio López defended the work of Quique Sánchez Flores and the coaching staff. “This coaching staff has led Atlético de Madrid to two Cups and that has something to say about their hard work and sacrifice. We’ve always gone in the same direction and we’re not going to go off course now.”
Paulo Assunçao also appeared before the media after the encounter against Sporting. The central midfielder acknowledged that it had been “a tough match. Now we have to think about next Sunday’s fixture against Athletic. We have to forget about this loss as soon as possible and get ready for next weekend’s game. We were coming off a tough week, with three matches in seven days and the elimination at the hands of Real Madrid in the Cup. Nevertheless, we feel strong enough to accomplish our European goal. We’re aware that Champions is ten points away, but we have the entire second round to turn this situation around. We have to work, work and work to get back on the winning path and if we win three matches on the trot we’ll be closer once again.”
