He Rayo Vallecano He fell fighting and puts an end to a historic season. Mateta’s goal ended the dream of an entire neighborhood that, if it did not move to Leipzig, would flood the streets. The architect of everything has been Iñigo Pérez. The Navarrese has achieved what no one else has achieved in 102 years of history and analyzed the defeat at a press conference.
Defeat in the final. “These are difficult times for everyone. There is pain and we have to get through it as best we can.”
Feelings. “It’s what you get when you lose and it’s so close. The first impact is from not winning. Then what breaks you inside is seeing people crying, trying to lift their spirits.”
Failures. “The emotional component blocks you a bit in terms of the ease that we usually have as a team. I wouldn’t like to attribute it to this factor. They were superior in tactics. We never had the feeling of winning or being close to victory. We must congratulate them.”
Game plan. “The first half was a matter of trial and error. No one wanted to make a mistake. The beginning of the second half, the goal, was an isolated play. The blow of the goal left you shaken. Afterwards we recovered, not brilliantly but we did get rid of the feeling of not being us. We have to learn.”
Players. “This group is difficult to find. I have had very good locker rooms, but this group is special. They are truly friends, who respect and love each other. They help each other, encourage each other, forgive each other… finding all those variants is difficult. When they beat you like today, it is better to lose with these guys than with someone you don’t want to.”
Continuity. “It is not appropriate to talk about my future now. It makes me very ashamed and I think it is not fair. It is time to think about the Rayistas.”