Marcelino: "We have to always look forward and be optimistic"

Two days on from Valencia CF's elimination from the UEFA Europa League after a valiant semifinal showing, coach Marcelino spoke with the media in his pre-match press conference ahead of the LaLiga meeting with Alavés. He addressed the team's morale, the battle for fourth place, tiredness and more besides.

Morale after the Europa League elimination
We're ok. We have to get back up again. We have to do that quickly, because -fortunately- we are fighting to finish fourth in the league and we have another final tomorrow. The team have been used to competing in three competitions throughout the season, and I think that on the majority of occasions we have done a good job. Now, with only three games remaining, we know that the first of them is very, very important and could be decisive. We are facing it as such, with the utmost optimism and complete conviction. We need to pick ourselves up for tomorrow."

Optimism
"There is so little to go, and everything ahead is so attractive, that it isn't worth looking back. We have to always look forward, be optimistic, be ambitious and respond with whatever we have left, with the utmost will to make this a great end to an extraordinary season."

Getafe's game against FC Barcelona
"There are 6 points in play and we have to take all 6, because our rivals have 3 more than us. If they get 4 points from the remaining games, then we have to congratulate them, because they will finish above us. What would be difficult for us to accept would be if Getafe were to take 3 points or fewer, and we weren't able to earn 6 points."

"We are obliged to take the three points tomorrow at home, and it won't be easy because we have played a lot of games and suffered a big disappointment just three days ago. There are a series of circumstances that could make it difficult to be at our best level, but we need to be."

Paying attention to rivals
"We need to focus all our attention on our game. It all depends on us winning, and anything different is of no use to us. I'm sure that we will know the other results. I won't be checking on them, but with so many people -as well as the fans- by the dugout, it's inevitable that we will find out what the score in the other game is."

Diakhaby as a defensive midfielder
"It's a possibility that we are contemplating. We will see what decision we take tomorrow. We need to see how the players who started have recovered from Thursday, and then we will take the decision based on the physical and mental side, as well as how the opposition play, to choose what we think is best to give us the win."

Players one yellow card away from suspension
"Alavés are going to oblige us to battle a lot, and we can't be focused on the fact that we have players on four yellow cards, or let it affect us. The important thing tomorrow is to play as best we can, compete at the highest level and be united in search of an objective that will benefit us all. Then, even when the players have a lot of yellow cards, we need to win the next game as well."