Adán: "There is no better coach than Julio Velázquez to get us back in the First Division"
At midday today, the Real Betis Balompié goalkeeper attended representatives of the media in the pressroom at the Luis del Sol Training Centre. The goalkeeper from Madrid, in a press conference packed full of forcefulness and sincerity, expressed the team's full support for Julio Velázquez. Furthermore, Antonio Adán commented on other issues after last Sunday's slip-up against CD Leganés (1-0).
How has the team reacted after the defeat in Leganés?: “We are trying to keep calm. We have talking on the changing room. I think we are mainly to blame for the situation we are in, as we are the ones who step out on to the pitch. We respect everyone's opinion and we understand the reaction of the fans. In our opinion there is no need for debate. Or coach is Julio Velázquez, He will be on Monday and also for the rest of the season. He is the ideal person to see us achieve our objective. We have to recognise the good things we have done on matchdays and the many things we do badly, improve upon them and move forward step by step. There isn't a shadow of doubt that it will be Julio Velázquez that will see us through this and achieve our objective”.
Team meeting: “When we talk amongst ourselves we are critical of our own faults. We have a fantastic squad, the best in the Second Division. We all have to step up, but looking ourselves in the eye and not the person who is standing next to us. If we all step up and accept our own criticism I am sure that we are going to get a run of victories, We will change the people's opinion and all the things that are being said in the papers every day”.
The fans showed their displeasure in Sunday: “Those of us who have been around longer know our fan base and the atmosphere here. We have to try to help the newcomers who might be affected more because they don't know what it is like. We would love for them to applaud us and give us their support. We understand their dissatisfaction. Our message is aimed at the new players who could be affected by that so that we can all be 100%, both physically and mentally”.
Has anyone from the Club spoken to the team indicating their support for Julio Velázquez?: “There is no need for anyone from the Club to come and understand the squad's feeling on that. There are 25 players who are right behind the coach, we are really pleased with the way he works on a daily basis. We all have to improve, the message is that we should help each other, the team and the technical staff pulling in the same direction so we can reach our goal. I don't need anyone from the Club to come to me to tell me that Julio Velázquez will still be training on Monday. All I need is to see the reaction of the team. On Sunday that will be reflected on the pitch and we will have a good match”.
Are you pleased with David Relaño's arrival?: “At least I am pleased mentally. I am pleased with the work I do every day and with my performance. In my job you find yourself in situations that lead you to make mistakes and they will happen again. I am sure that with the work I am doing in the week those mistakes will be reduced”.
What is going wrong with the team, what needs to be improved?: “Obviously there are things that we are doing really badly. We have improved in others where we were feeling the pressure. We have to find the balance between our defence and our front line. That is what they want of us. It is true that in the last few matches we are having difficulty getting into the final third. We have to look at the positive side, but not forget that there are things that we are not doing well. By knowing what they are we can work on them on a daily basis so that they get better and boost the morale of a lot of people. There are a lot of us who are not performing as well as we could. We have to hold our heads up and keep moving on. This is a long league, and there is a long way to go”.
What is your version of what happened with Kike Burgos?: “My version coincides exactly with what the boss said in his press conference. I spoke with him on a couple of occasions and the parties involved twice. In my opinion the issue has been settled. My message has always been the same, work hard to improve and do the best for the team and for me personally”.
Conversations with the previous goalkeeper coach: “I am not here to defend if I am a good person or not. The opinions that matter to me is that of my family, my girlfriend and my friends. My message has always been the same, give of myself and work hard to improve for the Club. When things have been going well, I always said that you have to work doubly hard to keep improving. When this were going badly, I said that I had to work even harder. Other than that, my conversations with Mr Kike Burgos and the coach were strictly private and continue to be so. Publicly, my message has always been to work hard to get the best out of me, out of the Club and the team”.
Do you think that your performance has improved with the change of goalkeeper coach?: “No one should think that it is possible to arrive, and press a button to switch from not stopping any to saving them all. Little by little I am feeling better, I think my evolution has been positive. I have been feeling better as the week went on. I will fail again whether it be with David Relaño, Kike Burgos or anyone else. The main responsibility for the mistakes I make is mine. I have never tried to put the blame on anyone else. If the work is good during the week, you feel better when it comes to a matchday. With every Sunday that goes by I feel better”.
Jeers from the crowd: “Those of us who have been here longer have to help the newcomers. There are youngsters who have just arrived who may be affected by the fact that in the second half there could be some altercation with the crowd. Other than that you have to realise that it is only normal and take it on board. The message we put out is completely different. We have wonderful fans who, when things are going well and even when they are not, are right behind us. We have to made the newcomers realise that there is a lot of responsibility when you wear the Betis colours. We want them to be able to work calmly and focus on the game”.
Chants in favour of Pepe Mel: “I have not been fortunate enough to work with him. I think he is a great coach, but given our objective there is no one better than Julio Velázquez. All the 25 players in the squad think the same. Of course the fans have fond memories of a great coach, but the best manager to get us back in to the First Division is Julio Velázquez”.
Does Julio Velázquez's youth make it difficult for him to control the first team of such a great Club?: “I have been fortunate enough to work with the best. Age is not a factor, the messages you give out have to sink in with the team. When there are 25 players who think that the ideal person is Julio Velázquez, it is because the message has sunk in. We are totally behind him”.
How do you explain that Betis, who has the best forwards in this category, hasn't scored in four matches?: “I do not think it is a problem with having the best forwards in the category, but with the whole team. When a team does not create scoring opportunities, logically the forwards do not score goals. It is a team problem. Just like before when we conceded goals, we were all responsible, now that we are not scoring we are equally responsible”.