Míchel is experiencing situations with Girona that he had never experienced as a coach. Yesterday the Madrid player saw a straight red card in the 21st minute for protesting an action to the referee. Specifically to say: “It seems that you are wearing green”, as he himself recognized after the game. These words came after referee Ortiz Arias whistled a strict penalty for a fall of Rodri in contact with Bernardo, who was cautioned with a yellow, in the white-and-red area. And then the lineman made a mistake when raising the flag in an offside play. “I don’t think it’s grounds for expulsion. We all play a lot and leave with an uncomfortable situation that we didn’t deserve”, he commented. For his part, the referee wrote in the minutes that the reason for sending him off had been to say to one of the assistants “don’t you have to put up with this offside? Why are you wearing green?” and he added that Míchel had done it “in a clear attitude of mockery insinuating that the refereeing team wears the shirt of Betis Balompié”.
“We are in the same league as Madrid, Barça and the rest. I see a referee error. I apologize again for the expulsions, but there are ways to act. We can have a more fluid relationship with the referees because some are able to calm you down and others are able to drive you crazy. What I said is what I said. I didn’t get on with anyone or insult anyone. The comment was ugly”, he insisted. At the same time, he stated that “I am very hurt because I will miss two games”. Second coach Salva Fúnez will have to take Míchel’s place against Real Sociedad and Atlético de Madrid.
“The feeling is not positive for the result, but for the rest it is. We deserved more. The offensive work has been very good and the defensive work, too. In general, we covered their game well and were able to control their attacks. I left satisfied with the idea, the game and the personality of the team, and very sad with the result. It’s maddening because in ten weeks we’ll only remember the points, and they’re not there. In two specific actions that we cannot control, we lost the game.”
“In the head-to-head we were a fully recognizable team that deserved more. The team did a brutal job, if you don’t have the ability to create so many chances against a team that sometimes takes the ball away from you and forces you to run. In many phases of the game we were able to dominate against one of the most in-form teams in the league, and made them uncomfortable. But of course, they are a great team and they also generate you. In general, the match was more for us. This stadium is incredible, I didn’t like being away from my people.”
“It was a very unlikely situation. It’s a mistake, players make them. There are games in which he gave us victory, but today – yesterday for the reader – was a mistake against which we could not react. We didn’t have time to position ourselves, it was a very clear situation against the goalkeeper and Borja defined very well. It has been like that and nothing happens. We will continue to work, humble and with our heads up. We can improve a lot and there are things we cannot control.”
“The schedules are set by the fabrics and we have to adapt, even though it was very hot and the player suffered from it. At another time we might have given more of a show.”
