Real Oviedo Head Coach Javi Calleja spoke to the members of the media present in the GAM Press Room at the Carlos Tartiere this morning.
Asked about the derby, the Gaffer was clear that "we know the match that it is and what we have to do on the pitch in order to get three points. It's a very special match, and you can feel it in every corner of the city. Everyone makes you feel it. It's the match you want to experience, and we want the fans to feel proud of their team. What we want is for every Oviedista to feel proud. We want to give it absolutely everything and come out of it stronger as a team. It's the best moment to show what we are made of."
Regarding the opponent, the Coach highlighted that "we are two teams that have had overhauls. I know Rubén Albés and his teams put you under pressure. They play very attacking, direct football. It will be a very difficult match. We have to know how to play with our hearts and also with our heads."
The match against Racing de Santander brought the first defeat of the season, and Calleja evaluated it as follows: "if we just look at the statistics from the other day, it looks like what we are looking for: initiative possession, and shots. However, you couldn't see that either in the result, nor in the team's performance. When they took the lead the match got away from us. This match will be different. We have to liberate ourselves mentally and focus on this season so that it doesn't become overwhelming. The excitement of last year has to help us to have a great season. We can't live off memories."
He concluded by adding that "we have spoken to the people at the club, who have lived through a lot of derbies and who know what a match like this means. They let you know about it. We have been waiting for this moment for a long time. We are looking forward to getting the ball rolling."