Rodrigo Ely This pre-season was topical due to the incident in the friendly match against Heart Scottish, when he came to the defense of his teammate Alexander Pozo for an ugly note he had received. The Brazilian centre-back, somewhat uncomfortable with the deal, admitted he will always treat his teammates as if they were family and left a recommendation for the president, Turki Al Sheikhtelling him that if it were up to him, he would renew Ruby for many more years.
How did this atypical pre-season go, which is coming to an end?
“This pre-season has been different for everyone, but we’ve taken the opportunity to continue to improve and be stronger as a team. We have one game left and I think it has served us well.”
Is it good to face top rivals like Torino or Lazio in friendlies?
“Against Torino it was a very physical match because they are very aggressive and that serves to prepare us as well as possible. Lazio are a historic player from Italy who have played well in recent years and they will serve to face Cadiz in the best conditions. Playing against teams from other countries is an extra motivation to see what you will find. Lazio are a rival who do things well and have a good coach”.
Does the father of the locker room feel a little about age and the way he defended Pozo?
“It’s not about being a dad, I treat my co-workers like they’re my family because I imagine they would do the same for me.”
Cadiz is fast approaching, is it time to win at home?
“Cádiz have good players and it will surely be a tough game, but hopefully we can break the away streak and can score points to leave a direct rival as far as possible.”
How do you think this competitive break will affect teams?
“No se lo que va a pasar, es algo muy raro parar tanto tiempo en mitad de competición, pero hemos trabajado muy bien y ojalá logremos dar ese paso fuera de casa. Hay que pensar en dar lo mejor, nunca he vivido esta situación en my career”.
Do you see Pacheco focused on the day-to-day or thinking about a possible release?
“I can see Pacheco training well, I think he had problems with his legs. He’s a great guy, I’ve known him for 5 years and he always laughs with everyone, he has a very big heart. I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
Is Robertone giving a lot of trouble in the locker room with Argentina’s World Cup victory?
“It was one of the few World Cups Argentina won that many Brazilians accepted because Messi already deserved it. I wanted Brazil to win, but Messi deserves it for everything he gave to this sport even though it pissed me off a lot of times”.
In the axis of the back it seems that all the members complement each other well.
“For a Premier League team it’s important to have a good group level, not just a couple or a player. At the center of the back, the level is very good and it’s important that those who don’t play many work hard and have that mentality to help us”.
Are you one of those who endure in the gym after training?
“I work a lot, I spend hours on my body at work and at home with food to take care of myself and be well. It pays off. We love this sport and the least we can do is give it a little more to bring happiness to our people and enjoy football.”
Your contract ends in 2024, would you like to put down roots as a rojiblanco?
“I feel very comfortable with the people, the club, the city and my teammates. It would be very good to be able to continue to grow for many more years as part of this project.”
More comfortable with a line of 4 or 5 defenders?
“On the first day of pre-season, the coach told us that to be in the first division he had his plans with a line of 4 or 5. We had prepared for it and it’s good to have some variety to surprise our rivals. This mix is important for the team and I hope it can help us. In a line of 4 more games in the center right and in the line of 3 more centrals in the center”.
If you were president, would you renew Rubi?
“I would like to be Turki. Many of us are here because of the coach, a lot of it is his merit. Besides the technical-tactical aspect, the most important thing is to create a good atmosphere and the coach is doing a spectacular job. . I would sign him for many years.”
What is the immediate objective?
“We must reach salvation as soon as possible and not set limits, continue to evolve as a block by adding 40 points as soon as possible and then take advantage. The team is young with great players and due to the pressure of the result , they cannot express themselves.”
A wish for these Christmas dates?
“I hope people have a great time with their families and that we can give them joy by enjoying Primera for many years together. A big hug to all.”
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