Real Betis manager Gabriel Calderón spoke of the sadness he will feel, once the team is mathematically unable to avoid relegation to the Segunda, which could be confirmed on Saturday, if his team fails to beat Real Sociedad at the Benito Villamarín.
Real Betis manager Gabriel Calderón admits relegation will be a huge disappointment for everyone.
At his press call on Friday, Real Betis manager was first asked how he will feel, should the inevitable happen after Saturday’s game against Real Sociedad and his team be relegated.
“As a sportsman, first of all I’ll wait to see what happens tomorrow. If that situation comes, which we already know is close, the disappointment will be huge.”
“The first to be self-critical are ourselves. We’re very sad about this situation. In these last three months, I’m the most disappointed one of all. We’ve all seen how cruel this is. I wish I could be sat here today, in another situation entirely.”
“Knowing fully what I was coming to when I took the job, if our relegation is confirmed then it will be a very sad time. I came here to bring some joy to the fans who have made me so happy and I’ve not achieved that.”
Calderón also spoke at length about the fans, what they mean to the club, his appreciation and respect for them, their enduring patience. However, he was also keen to point out that certain levels of criticism go above and beyond what can be tolerated, asking them most of all for unity, as well as their continued support for the team.
“Aside from the last game, we’ve been competing very well. Hopefully tomorrow we’ll return to doing that, as we’ve done in all our other games. The fans have every right to be demanding and we’re all responsible for being up to their standards. What I don’t agree with is that certain people go beyond the limits of normal protests of their disappointment.”
“We should have unity, that’s in the interests of Betis. We have to put any divisions and personal interests to one side. Unity is the only way to succeed and get ahead. I see a lot of criticism that isn’t constructive. There’s always going to be criticism, even more so when things aren’t going well, but I would like it to be done in the best interests of Betis and not for the sake of personal interests.”
“These fans belong in the Primera and we’re always in debt to our fans. The only thing we can do is to thank them, as they’ve always responded for us. At different times in the history of the club, it has been up to the level of its fans, but for different reasons, we’ve not always had the stability that matches the support of the fans.”
Beyond the end of the season, the future of Calderón at the club is obviously in doubt. He explained that he hasn’t given his personal future any thought, but hinted that if the opportunity is there to remain, even in the Segunda, then he would.
“After beating Sevilla and up to today, I haven’t planned anything or had any thoughts. The only team I would manage in the Segunda, is Betis, but it’s not something I’ve given thought to yet.”
The disastrous performance of Paulao and his request to be substituted, during last weekend’s defeat at Rayo Vallecano, hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Calderón admitted that the game and the situation had been very disappointing, but asked if he’d be willing to choose the defender again, the Betis manager suggested he would, but only if the player was in the right frame of mind.
“The situation we’re in hurts me. In the time I’ve been here as manager, we’ve always competed very well. For one reason or another though, we’ve not achieved the results we wanted. In the game at Vallecas, we didn’t show the level of performance we have otherwise been showing. First and foremost, we want to be dignified.”
“The player is affected by what happened and the responsibility he feels. Tomorrow I’ll choose the best 18 I feel are capable of winning the game. If Paulao plays, then it’s because I believe he has the morale to do so. When we want to win, we have to do that with players who want to play. If he’s not right, he won’t be in the squad.”
“It’s out of my hands to prevent that. In each game we’ll go out there to win, because we’re honest and professional. We represent a very important club, so we’ll go into each game with the players who are in the best conditions to win each of those games.”
Real Betis manager Gabriel Calderón admits relegation will be a huge disappointment for everyone.
At his press call on Friday, Real Betis manager was first asked how he will feel, should the inevitable happen after Saturday’s game against Real Sociedad and his team be relegated.
“As a sportsman, first of all I’ll wait to see what happens tomorrow. If that situation comes, which we already know is close, the disappointment will be huge.”
“The first to be self-critical are ourselves. We’re very sad about this situation. In these last three months, I’m the most disappointed one of all. We’ve all seen how cruel this is. I wish I could be sat here today, in another situation entirely.”
“Knowing fully what I was coming to when I took the job, if our relegation is confirmed then it will be a very sad time. I came here to bring some joy to the fans who have made me so happy and I’ve not achieved that.”
Calderón also spoke at length about the fans, what they mean to the club, his appreciation and respect for them, their enduring patience. However, he was also keen to point out that certain levels of criticism go above and beyond what can be tolerated, asking them most of all for unity, as well as their continued support for the team.
“Aside from the last game, we’ve been competing very well. Hopefully tomorrow we’ll return to doing that, as we’ve done in all our other games. The fans have every right to be demanding and we’re all responsible for being up to their standards. What I don’t agree with is that certain people go beyond the limits of normal protests of their disappointment.”
“We should have unity, that’s in the interests of Betis. We have to put any divisions and personal interests to one side. Unity is the only way to succeed and get ahead. I see a lot of criticism that isn’t constructive. There’s always going to be criticism, even more so when things aren’t going well, but I would like it to be done in the best interests of Betis and not for the sake of personal interests.”
“These fans belong in the Primera and we’re always in debt to our fans. The only thing we can do is to thank them, as they’ve always responded for us. At different times in the history of the club, it has been up to the level of its fans, but for different reasons, we’ve not always had the stability that matches the support of the fans.”
Beyond the end of the season, the future of Calderón at the club is obviously in doubt. He explained that he hasn’t given his personal future any thought, but hinted that if the opportunity is there to remain, even in the Segunda, then he would.
“After beating Sevilla and up to today, I haven’t planned anything or had any thoughts. The only team I would manage in the Segunda, is Betis, but it’s not something I’ve given thought to yet.”
The disastrous performance of Paulao and his request to be substituted, during last weekend’s defeat at Rayo Vallecano, hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Calderón admitted that the game and the situation had been very disappointing, but asked if he’d be willing to choose the defender again, the Betis manager suggested he would, but only if the player was in the right frame of mind.
“The situation we’re in hurts me. In the time I’ve been here as manager, we’ve always competed very well. For one reason or another though, we’ve not achieved the results we wanted. In the game at Vallecas, we didn’t show the level of performance we have otherwise been showing. First and foremost, we want to be dignified.”
“The player is affected by what happened and the responsibility he feels. Tomorrow I’ll choose the best 18 I feel are capable of winning the game. If Paulao plays, then it’s because I believe he has the morale to do so. When we want to win, we have to do that with players who want to play. If he’s not right, he won’t be in the squad.”
“It’s out of my hands to prevent that. In each game we’ll go out there to win, because we’re honest and professional. We represent a very important club, so we’ll go into each game with the players who are in the best conditions to win each of those games.”