Sergio Álvarez: To have the support of the fans is an extra encouragement to be at our best

Sergio Alvarez says the support of the Eibar fans on Sunday in Santander is “an extra encouragement to go out and be at our best in a very important game.”

In his press conference following training at Ipurua on Thursday, the Eibar midfielder assured that the team has “a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of desire” and that they head into Sunday’s game “with confidence”.

EXCITEMENT AND CONFIDENCE

“The defeat the other day was tough because we had so much excitement put on the game, but that’s football. If we take the overall view to our last game, although we haven’t won, the work of the team is either good or very good. We have to polish a small error that we have been excessively punished for, but we are confident in the work that we are doing, and we have to reinforce what we have done all season. If we are up there, it’s because we have done things well. We have to continue with our clear sense of identity and exploit it the most we can.”

“We are against a very good rival at a tricky away ground, but we are going there for the win. We are very motivated and with a lot of confidence. We are conscious that everything is very equal, but we don’t think of anything beyond this week. We prepare for this week with a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of desire and with confidence going into the game. We have enough potential to win against anyone.”

GOOD GAMES

“If we had said at the start of the season that with three games to go we would be in the automatic promotion places, we would have signed with our eyes shut. This small bump, it doesn’t make us give up nor give us bad feelings. We are starting again now, and we have to be relaxed. We are having good games, creating more than our rival and deserving more points than we have got.”

FANS

“There are going to be lots of Armeros. We thank them. They have been with the team from the first game until now, and we have felt very close to their love and encouragement. For us, it’s very important that they are by our side. It’s an extra encouragement to go out and be at our best in a very important game.”

“It’s very motivating. We have all the words of support and love. To have the support of our fans and feel as though we are at home is very motivating.”

RACING

“It’s a difficult game. In the recent games at home, they are achieving good results. We have to fully respect them, but also keeping in mind our potential. That’s why we are up there, and we have a squad good enough with a tremendous desire to go there for three points. We know that it’s very difficult to win in this very equal league. You have to take care of all the details, to be the Eibar that we have been for two seasons, and we have to fully exploit our best attributes.

MENTAL STRENGTH

“We have to insist, to have a strong head, to be positive, to have confidence in our work. If we get a positive result, we will see things another way. We deserve it and we are going for it. The head is everything. It’s not normal that in so many games, the teams up the top are not getting the results. There is a lot of tension, of nerves. You have to try to avoid everything else, to have a cool head, compete as we know best, concentrate on what each player has to do, look to your teammate and have full confidence in them. We have a humble group. We have to concentrate on all the positives the team has. 

“It’s the moment to be Eibar, not to do things differently. We have to continue having our sense of identity that has got us to this point and to be valiant.”