In his 126th game on the UD bench and in the eighth derby he leads – he is number one in the ranking of classics –, José Mel Pérez admits that Sunday’s classic at the Heliodoro, the 50% capacity and the centennial, is “a vital match”. In relation to the notable list of absences (9), between injuries and the omicron variant, he details that there is no “plan a, boc; we must have the entire alphabet ready because you do not know if I or Fabio will fall tomorrow”. “First of all, wish everyone, Happy New Year. And now more than ever, greets you is the most important thing. Finalizing all the details of this derby with the health alerts is special and atypical; you must conform. There is no use complaining. You have to work with the people you have; I think starting 2022 with a derby is the Canarian football festival. We must have the greatest possible respect for them. ”
TO Two work sessions are missing, and in case there was a last-minute casualty, after learning about Peñaranda’s, Mel asserted that “we prepare different things and systems. Nobody tells me that any more may fall. We have an eleven guy, for four days and working with him, we appreciate that it is a mistake. What if one of those headlines falls? In the first cases of positives, Peñaranda did not enter and then fell. That shows you that you have to have the entire alphabet, plan a, b and c is not valid (…) That is why we have prepared the game in different ways, we do not know what will happen tomorrow with the antigens. “It is important that” different options, different ways of playing “is the only guarantee of winning the derby of uncertainty and ending a 21-year drought.
For Mel, even the technician is in danger of being caught by the virus. “I can also fall, those who are … We have focused on that, it is to have several tactical options.” In relation to the controversy of the centennial logo on the yellow kit, the novelist explained that it is an initiative that “contributes civility.” “The UD is a gentleman club, with a history that represents an Island that is all kindness and knowing how to be. The logo is a sign of civility and congratulates a sister club that has the centenary. We must add ourselves to that congratulation; a Once the referee whistles, we will go to beat them, the rest is sportsmanship and good neighborliness. ”
Without the yellow stain on the Heliodorus
The head of the UD would have asked to play “in a Heliodorus to explode with people.” “I reiterate that it is the Canarian football festival and we would have liked to see a full stadium and our fans. Brotherhood and then go to win. We respect the law and these restrictions. It is a shame that you cannot go to Tenerife from Gran Canaria .. But it is the new realityEvery time the phone rings and you see it’s the doctor, I start to shake. They test us daily and pray “.
He reiterates that “we know what Tenerife is, they have 21 games and are among the top six on their own merits.” Regarding Jesé’s phrase, that the UD is the one that “plays the best in the Second Division”, he clarifies that “we do many things well, but we lack success. The teams that go up to First, at this stage of the competition are eighth. There are 21 games left. , 63 points and we must be faithful to our idea “.
The importance of the derby for Mel after adding a win in seven days
The novelist recognizes that “the derby is not a normal game; there is an objective that is to be among the top six. We are on the way, the club that maintains serenity will have a plus of points. This game is vital; for all that , because there are three points and we will dedicate it to the fans “.
Defend the concentration from 1.30 am in a hotel in Las Canteras. “We think that at 1.30 am, after hugging with the family, they get together with the sports family. Until day 3, concentrated, it has to be like that, they are professionals And like other professions, it takes a toll. ”
