The UD Almería head coach praises his team's response in overturning an adverse scoreline and highlights the backing of the supporters. 'We're in the final and we'll approach it with even greater belief because of the way we've got there,' he said
'The character, courage and determination shown by the players has been incredible,' said UD Almería head coach Joan Francesc Ferrer Sicilia 'Rubi' as he summed up his team's performance in the post-match press conference following the victory over CD Castellón.
In his view, the attitude displayed by the players in the closing stages of the game was decisive in turning the tie around. 'That determination allowed us to avoid extra time and reach the final,' explained the gaffer.
Qualifying in such dramatic fashion, the Catalan believes, will provide an extra boost ahead of the decisive play-off showdown: 'Getting there in this way will give us even more belief going into the final. The players gave everything until the very end and never let their heads drop despite falling behind.'
Rubi described the match as a closely-contested encounter and was quick to acknowledge the efforts of the opposition. 'It was a very even and hard-fought game and I want to congratulate CD Castellón because they competed extremely well. Not much happened during the first half and then, almost without realising it, we found ourselves behind on the scoreboard in the second. From that point on, the players showed tremendous courage to turn both the match and the tie around,' he explained.
The Vilassar de Mar native also reserved special praise for the UD Almería supporters, who played their part throughout the evening: 'With this support, we are in the final, which is exactly where we wanted to be. Now it's time to recover and prepare for the first leg against Málaga CF or UD Las Palmas.'