First Team
Rubi: 'The fans have shown me their affection and I'm here to give it my all'
The UD Almería head coach equals Casuco as the gaffer with the most matches in charge of the Rojiblancos first-team: 127. The head coach emphasised the importance of the victory over Real Zaragoza 'because we still have time for everything.'
Shortly before the match, it was announced over the PA system and on the Stadium 's video scoreboard that Rubi had equalled Casuco as the head coach with the most matches in charge of UD Almería (127). In the post-match press conference, the Vilassar de Mar native was asked about this and replied: 'I didn't expect to reach this milestone and it's an honour.'
The crowd gave him a standing ovation, which he expressed his gratitude for: 'The fans have shown me their affection, and I'm here to give it my all to help UD Almería achieve success.' For now, the team has found its way back to winning ways after 8 consecutive matches without a victory, something the head coach considered crucial 'because we have time for everything. Not winning today would've made it difficult for us to secure the top two spots. We're still in the game. UD Almería aren't out of the question.
Rubi explained: 'The game was very complete, despite some ups and downs in the second half due to a lack of concentration due to the score. However, everything went as planned,' and then emphasised: 'I see the team getting back-to-back victories. Hopefully, this is the start of another good run. The important thing is that we've put an end to a bad trend.'
Léo Baptistão was dropped from the squad list at the last minute. The Catalan explained: 'He injured himself while taking a shot in training on Friday. He has a groin pain. He tested this morning, felt pain, and since it's a muscular issue, we'll wait until Monday to get an MRI done.'