Rubi: 'If we’d stayed 11v11, Racing wouldn’t have won'

UD Almería head coach Joan Francesc Ferrer Sicilia, also known as Rubi, shared his post-game thoughts in the UD Stadium press room following his side's 2-3 loss to Racing de Santander, their first defeat of the LaLiga Hypermotion season.

Rubi expressed frustration over the way the match unfolded, particularly after a strong first half that saw his team leading 2-0. 'We went from playing some of our best football to seeing everything fall apart,' said Rubi.

'Racing capitalised on two key moments and punished us, but we were completely conditioned by the red card. It’s not a day to blame the team for their performance. They were excellent in the first half and even in the second, they created the better chances. But in a single minute, our defence collapsed and we conceded 2 quick goals,' he explained.

The Catalan was adamant that the result would have been different had his side remained at full strength: 'With 11 UD Almería players on the pitch, I doubt Racing de Santander would’ve won the game. We were in control and at our best, we were overwhelming them.'

The Vilassar de Mar native also commented on the nature of the match, noting that he felt his team had been unfairly punished. 'When we were playing our best, everything went downhill. It should've been a day when we came out on top because Racing were struggling against our style of play.'

Rubi also addressed the straight red card issued to Dion Lopy, which he did not fully agree with. 'If you told me this was a game full of reckless challenges, I’d understand, but it was a fair game. There were still 70 minutes left after that incident and it changed everything for us,' he concluded.