Real Betis new interim head coach, Juan Merino, gave today his first press conference in the role. The Green-and-White coach talked about his arrival to the first team and the chances of the team in Copa del Rey.

Did you expect this change to happen?: “No. I see the situation and I’m an employee of the Club. The interims are for when we are needed. Sometimes we can decide but these things happen here and in every other club. We are for rough times. This is my Club and I’m 100 % ready to make the best I can. I see it as a beautiful challenge.”

Squad for Copa del Rey: “I would try to compensate the squad thinking on La Liga, specially after the score in the first leg, if the rival was a different one. But it’s a derby and the players need to understand that is always an obligation to beat our maximum rival. If you ask the fans which match they prefer to win, they would tell you the derby, so I’m going to choose the best starting eleven possible. It is forbidden to think about Villarreal CF now; there’s no other match apart from the derby in Copa del Rey. There’s a lot at stake. Not because of the score but because of the feelings. The team struggles if the image showed in a derby isn’t good. It’s a final for us tomorrow. Those are the feelings that technical staff and players should have.”

Impressions after the first training session: “When the players don’t get good results, it’s plain to see. It has been just two days since the last match. They know how it works. A person has been dismissed and I have to make them realise. The manager is always the one to blame, and that’s normal. But they know they also have responsibility in this. It’s normal that they are sad, but they’re professionals and these things happen all the time in football. I’m coming with a lot of strength and my duty is to make this team regain its mental strength and make the players give their 100 %.”

Temporary job: “I face it as if I was going to be here for the entire year. I don’t care if in the end it’s going to be one or three matches. My behaviour is based in the mutual respect that should exist between the players and me. They have to see that right now I’m the manager. If they are already thinking about who may come, that’s none of my business. I act as I was going to be here the whole season. If I have to demand certain things from the players from the very first minute, I will do it so. That’s my idea as a professional.”

Chances to be the permanent manager: “The Chairman and the Board have been very honest with me. In first place, the wanted to see if I’m ready and whether I want this. I have a saying in this Club. The situation is difficult. Some may say that Juan Merino is getting himself in trouble because the upcoming calendar is very difficult. All the interims in football would like to start from scratch. But if we are interims is because there’s a reason. I also want the Club to see that in hard times is when a step forward is needed. The easy way would be to choose a more comfortable situation. But we can’t choose when to go to the first team. Interims are usually called for hard situations. I feel even with more strength than last year when I was in charge of the team. The calendar is tough but not impossible. The first match is tomorrow.”

First measures: “In first place, we must be united. I have no time to think about the players that may come or go, only about the ones that can play. I want union for my own sake, because I need 100% from all the players, and that’s what I ask them. I’m focus on the starting eleven tomorrow. I just ask for respect.”

Difficult calendar: “Imagine we win all the matches! I think we are going to win, it’s useless to think about being defeated.  The Club asked me, I had the choice and I said yes. It’s time to be happy and excited, starting from tomorrow. Whatever comes afterwards, I don’t know.”

Chances to come back in the round: “I try to make it easy for the players. The first target is to get good feelings on the pitch. We have to make the fans see that the player is fighting eagerly. We are not talking about good results, just good feelings. And it’s easier to start thinking just about scoring one goal. If we score one, it will be easier to score another. If we say that we need to give our 100 %, tomorrow we need 150 %. I always want to beat our maximum rival. We need to start with the feelings and to get the best from every player. Then we’ll judge the result.”

Meeting with Mel: “We didn’t have a chance to meet. He said goodbye to the players in the Training Centre and I was already at the Stadium.”

Fans: “They deserved all my respect as a player, captain and manager. It’s not easy to ask them anything right now. They have to watch, and I’m going to demand everything from my team. There are options to het the good vibes back and play competitive football. The fans need to see that the players have good attitude. I’m not saying they didn’t have it before, though. Real Betis is in La Liga but there aren’t many teams with fans like these. It’s unique and very difficult to top.”

New players: “I would be a bad professional if I said anything after just one day. A manager gets to know the players working with them. We can watch as many matches as we want, but is every day work what matters: their attitude, behaviour and assets. I couldn’t make a judgement right now. I have to make a judgement just for the squad tomorrow. I will probably make mistakes because there are always players that change your initial idea.”

More confident than in your previous spell: “There’s not better thing than experience if you know how to apply it. Other may lose excitement with their experience. For me it’s the contrary. I’m really excited to face Sevilla. If the team is at its 100 %, we can beat anyone. We need to go with that idea. What’s the point if the players see that the technical staff is not excited.”

Revenge from Europa League two years ago: “It would be a huge thrill for all the beticos, and specially being in the bench. The derbies are like finals. I have played a Copa del Rey final and for me it’s the same. If it was a different team, with 2-0 in the aggregate, I’d use a different scope. We can’t look further, though, it’s final for us.”

Comparison with Zidane: “I am Juan Merino, a constant and hard-working person. I’ve based my career in working above my possibilities, and that’s the message I try to send. We have good players, but the key is applying it to the team. And humility. That’s the main asset to keep growing.”

Thoughts on Mel’s work: “Pepe Mel deserves all my respects for being Real Betis manager. He is the manager with more matches in the club along with Serra Ferrer. He deserves my respect just because of that. I don’t judge, dismiss, or sack anyone. I just give my best every day for the Club’s sake. It’s not for me to give my opinion about if it was good or bad; just to respect a Club’s manager.”