Still from Huelva, where today he participated in a meeting with the presidents of the Women’s League, Cayetano Pérez assesses the situation, the day after a very tough elimination in the Cup. He admits that the team was not up to it, apologizes to the fans but asks for a final vote of confidence.
After the elimination he apologized to the fans through a tweet. Did he feel he had to?
I, personally, felt very sorry to lose in this way in the Cup, that we could not have been up to par. The fans had made a great effort to stand by the team in Huelva, and the least they could do was apologize to them on behalf of the club.
“It is not competing at the height of what it means to wear the Uni shirt”, he wrote in the message. Do you think so too?
Uni has a history and every year we have been growing, playing finals and winning some title. We have a certain history behind us and when the templates are set up and illusions are created among the supporters it is because we want to give them the maximum of delivery and joy. And now we’re not doing it.
Why is it not competing as expected?
I would say that due to a combination of circumstances. We saw it again this week, with injuries and illnesses. But it’s no excuse. We know that it is also time to take a step forward on the court.
Uni is losing sporting relevance with last year’s results and how is this going?
The league is growing, bigger structures are entering, teams that are integrated into ACB structures. We used to say that to be up to par you had to do one more step, but now we have to do two or three to be at their level. To do this requires resources and these resources are sometimes limited. In Girona we can go as far as we can go. What we must be clear about is that in order to continue to be there with the best, we must continue to strengthen the structure of the club, otherwise it will be difficult to bring the best players and keep the ones we have.
And now what? Can you aspire to do something in the league after the disappointments in the Eurocup and the Cup?
Now it’s our turn to reflect. There are still days until the next game, when Celta visits us on Thursday the 28th. We have to prepare to finish the league and be in the play-offs and then we’ll see how far we can go. I believe in it. I know that the template that was designed is long, with people who can contribute a lot to us. They need to take the step forward. Our fans deserve it. We must try to give them some joy this season.
Does Uni have the highest budget in history this year?
It is one of the highest budgets, that’s for sure, on the verge of 1.9 million. The investment is there, now you need to find an answer on the track. There have been very good matches and others that have not been so good. Injuries, too many matches, travel, also affect, although they should not be an excuse. I don’t believe in bad luck either. There may be some, but there are certainly things that are not done well enough. There are things we could do better.
I would ask the players to make one last effort to finish the course in the best possible way
What did he say to the players and the staff?
We haven’t talked too much because the truth is that everyone is very affected. Not only the players, but also the managers displaced in Huelva. What has happened to us is a downfall. If I talk to them, I would tell them that it’s up to us to keep working and improve, to make one last effort to end the season in the best possible way. The potential of the players is indisputable, now they need to prove it on the court as well.
Should the club become more professional?
We need to improve the structures of many things. In terms of medical services, physiotherapists, recuperators… the ACB structure clubs have resources that we do not have. But we don’t just have to grow in the sports area, at the end of the day we are three people in the club, there is room here too. To do this, however, of course, more subscribers and sponsors are needed, and more help from the institutions.
Are they closer to integrating into Basketball Girona as has already happened with the base?
I don’t think that Básquet Girona wants to stay with Uni, and Uni doesn’t want it that way either. If one day something happens, it will be to keep adding efforts and do things better, as we have done with the base. We are doing a good job. Básquet Girona has very good things, and so do we. The sum must make us better without anyone having to lose the essence.
Are they planning for next year?
We’ve started talking, but not quite yet. Let’s start looking at things.
Should the Uni project be rebuilt or reconsidered?
The project continues. What must be done is to improve those things that we can improve, providing ourselves with more resources. Improving means more structure, more professionalisation, more subscribers and more sponsors. Every year we tried to improve the project. We always have self-criticism, but if you look back you will see how we have improved. That’s what it’s all about, fighting to keep doing it.
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2024-03-22 18:37:39
#lose #Cup #time #league
