Gracia: “We need to be aware defensively and ambitious in attack to beat Atletico"

Javi Gracia spoke in a pre-match press conference ahead of the game against Atletico Madrid on Sunday night (9pm CET). He talked about the game, the renewal of Gabriel Paulista’s contract, and the return of Cristiano Piccini.

How has Carlos Soler been in recent days?

“He is in a similar situation; he continues to suffer discomfort and I do not know how long he will have to endure that. The attitude of the player to help us and to be available makes everything easier. There are some players who are suffering discomfort, and this situation of a lot of games and little recovery does not help them to recover more easily. The attitude that Carlos has, like that of the rest of the players, makes it bearable, and I think he will be available for the coming matches.”

Does the first match against Atletico Madrid serve as a point of reference?

“As a reference, it always helps us, even though there may be variations in the starting eleven -and in their case they also have players suspended and injured. However, it does help us to know the difficulty they pose. First of all, they are a team that have only lost one game, and the numbers they have are extraordinary: 44 points from 17 games played. In addition, regardless of these numbers, they are competing at a very high level, winning those games in the final minutes when they needed it most; that is synonymous with the drive and ambition that their team have. We will be up against a difficult team, just like in the first meeting, where an own goal punished us. You have to keep that game in mind in your defensive work, and be more ambitious in your attack in order to win -something that many have tried and only one side have achieved.”

Wass' suspension an opportunity for Koba

“I'm not going to give my starting eleven, but Koba has always been an option -just like Esquerdo. Both have played minutes in LaLiga and have started in the Copa del Rey, and they are options. It’s true that we do not have many players in those positions and currently both Carlos Soler and Racic are experiencing some discomfort. We have Wass suspended and the options are open. They are players that we trust in fully.”

Gabriel Paulista’s contract extension

“I value that renewal very positively. The player is happy with it, and that is what he has expressed to me and to everyone. It’s a reason to be happythat a player of his professional and human quality will remain at the club for a long time. I also understand that the club consider Gabriel Paulista to be a player who will be very valid for a long time and I think they reached a quick agreement. I’m happy for both sides, as he is a great player for the club.

Piccini's return

“Cristiano is a player we know. I already had the opportunity to work with him in preseason. He is a great professional, and we are waiting to see in what condition he arrives. From there we will see to what extent he can help a team that, of course, in the position in which he plays, don’t have an abundance of players. He is a player who is coming, we are in the middle of the winter transfer market and I am confident that reinforcements will come.”

“I have transmitted the needs of the team, and the club act based on that. They decided Piccini's return was appropriate. It is a position in which we don’t have many players, and any help is always welcome.”

Playing Sevilla FC in the Copa del Rey

“They are demanding opposition, and the fact that we will be playing away from home makes it even tougher. I would have liked to play at home, but it wasn’t to be. It’s an open tie and we are going to fight with the intention of going through.”

The transfer market.

“The important thing is that the club are working on things. That tells me that they are going to bring players in, and that is what I think could happen. The most important thing is that -with or without signings- we have many games to play and many games to win, that's what concerns me most at the moment.”