“Enthusiasm alone is not enough”: Javier Aguirre prior to the Copa del Rey

Sevilla. Mallorca’s coach, Javier Aguirre, assured that his team is “very excited” about Saturday’s Copa del Rey final against Athletic Club, but warned that “excitement alone is not enough” to win the title.

“It’s not enough for you to have enthusiasm or peace of mind, you have to play and play well, and not make mistakes because if you make mistakes you’ll be condemned,” said the Vasco Aguirre this Friday at the press conference prior to the meeting.

“You have to play an almost perfect match. Enthusiasm is not enough, it helps you, but you have to play a good match,” insisted the Mexican coach, who did not expect to see himself in a cup final.

Mallorca “is very good, very excited because we are in a Copa del Rey final without being on our program,” said Aguirre, who is clear about what he fears most about Athletic Bilbao.

“Their speed, they are impressively fast, they have impressive quality with the ball at their feet,” he explained.

“They are tremendously dynamic forward, they go well into space, they are a young team, well worked and forward, anyone can mess you up because they have a lot of quality,” said the Vasco during a relaxed press conference.

“Something historic”

“We know that it is not easy. They are a team that beat us 4-0 in the last game, but we are playing for a title, it is something historic for many of us and we are going to fight for it,” he said at the La Cartuja stadium in Seville. where the final will be held on Saturday.

Known for his spontaneity, Aguirre assured that he does not have any speeches prepared for his players.

“I don’t even know what I’m going to say, I’m a guy who doesn’t write scripts,” explained the Mallorca coach.

“I myself don’t know what I’m going to tell you. Tomorrow we will refine four things, but the other thing is going to be something natural, you can’t pretend, you can’t invent words that you don’t feel because it shows,” said Aguirre, who has all his players plugged in.

“He is a very important person. He is a somewhat atypical coach, he is very close, he has a lot of experience, he treats you like a father, he has everyone engaged, he handles personal treatment very well and that makes him take the team where he wants it.” has,” said Majorcan captain Antonio Raíllo.

Europe’s expectations

For Aguirre it will be his second Copa del Rey final, after the one he lost in 2005 against Betis when he coached Osasuna.

Since then, “on a personal level it is something different and on a professional level I have greater elements, more experience, more knowledge of the game and that makes me more confident in my job,” said Aguirre, who has already made a promise if he becomes champion on Saturday.

“I promise that if we are champions I will go to (the monastery of) Lluc,” he said with a smile, remembering that some of his predecessors had previously gone to that Mallorcan monastery.

Victory in the Copa del Rey would also guarantee Mallorca being in the Europa League next season, but Raíllo prefers to go little by little.

“We are going to take a calm step because tomorrow there is a crucial match, which is very important, and if you don’t win it, that possibility is erased,” stated the Mallorca captain.

“Tomorrow we will play, we will try to make people proud of us and if we can win the Cup, even better,” Raíllo concluded.