Guillermo Almada, the manager of Real Oviedo, reflected on his team’s draw, a result that leaves the Blues virtually relegated. Speaking after the match, he addressed several key topics.
**On the Two Red Cards**
“The criteria were different from what had been applied in other games involving us. We’ve had similar situations against us and were told they were nothing. They were very alike, but the same standard wasn’t used. Sometimes you don’t know what to expect in situations that keep repeating in every match. That ends up weighing on you. In football, the difference is a detail, especially in our situation. You rebel against injustice, even if you’re not used to experiencing it constantly.”
**On the Officiating**
“I don’t want to shirk any responsibility. Officiating gives you and takes away from you. They kept taking away from us. I can’t recall a single match where we won thanks to a dubious call in our favor. We’ve been disadvantaged in very important moments. The Betis game is an example. And since I’ve been here, there have been plenty of incidents like today’s.”
**On the Match**
“Beyond the pain of not winning, we can keep our heads up because the players gave everything on the pitch. We wanted to go for the win, but we lacked clarity. We doubled up on players after going two men down.”
**On Santi Cazorla**
“He’s played almost every game under me. We decide whether it’s better for him to come on when the opponent is tired or to start and run out of steam after 60 minutes. For us, it’s beneficial that he can make a difference. He always delivers good minutes, always contributes, and gives us solutions. Retirement is Santi’s decision. The club is open to any scenario. He’ll think about it. We’ll respect whatever he decides. But I’d love for him to stay – I’ve said a thousand times he’s a star.”
**On His Own Future**
“I can’t tell you anything in advance because all those decisions will be made later. First, we need to see if we stay. We’ve already talked, but we need to talk more. Maybe the sporting project will be different. We haven’t planned anything yet. We still have matches left. When the season ends, we’ll sit down and analyze whether our paths are aligned or not.”
**On the Final Three Games**
“We’ll approach them the same way we did today – with the same sporting pride we’ve shown in every match. We can play well or poorly, but our commitment is never in question. In every game, we’ve given everything.”
**On Thiago Borbas**
“It’s difficult for him to come into matches, that’s the reality. He showed the same commitment as everyone else. He’s competing with Fede because of his physical attributes. With Viñas at his current level, Thiago can’t get minutes. He has a good track record. We’d love for him to come in and score three goals.”
