Paco López: "We have our team identity clear"

C.D. Leganés head coach Paco López spoke this Friday in the press conference prior to the match that the pepinero team will play on Sunday (14:00) against Real Zaragoza at the Ibercaja Stadium, corresponding to Matchday 16 of LALIGA HYPERMOTION.
The coach assessed the team’s situation before the match as follows:

Lack of goals: "It’s something we’ve been dealing with for several matchdays. With everything we’re creating, we need a bit more conviction and accuracy. Accuracy and luck go hand in hand. We have to keep insisting because I don’t see any other solution: keep training, go in convinced, and believe more in those final meters."
Absences: "Normally, Rubén Peña will be out. We’ll have one more absence, but I’d prefer to keep it secret for now until tomorrow. There’s no need to give too many clues to the opponent."
Support from the president: "It’s always appreciated. We know the weakest link is the coach, and having words that back your work is something to be grateful for. I’ve always felt it that way, and I feel we all move together here: the club, physios, doctors, kit staff… It’s another reflection of the unity in this club. What hurts us most is not giving our fans the joy they deserve. In the dressing room we have a rule: negativity and pessimism have no place. We’re going to keep going forward with our convictions."
Pressure of facing the bottom team: "In this league, when you go to play a match, judging a team by their position on the table is the worst thing you can do. We see the huge equality from top to bottom. Zaragoza is a great team; I was very surprised they didn’t start well because they have very good players. They come in after two straight wins, which boosts them psychologically and makes them more dangerous. The standings don’t tell me anything. We’ll have a good team in front of us, with their fans. Every week the difficulty is maximum and nothing surprises us."
Zaragoza’s poor start: "To talk about that you’d need a deeper analysis, not one from the outside. Everyone wants to win, and someone has to start at the bottom—it’s a long‑distance race. It’s a team with good players."
Teams with fewer goals: "It’s one of the main problems. It’s clear we’re lacking accuracy in the final meters. The last match was an example. Statistics must be contextualized, but from twenty‑two shots we had ten on target against a great team. We have to keep insisting; there’s no other solution. I’d be concerned if we weren’t creating chances, but we’re creating a lot. When results aren’t good, we have to insist even more."
Statements from the president: "You can always give more, be better, improve. Knowing the president, there was nothing negative in his words. We’ve had players injured. The best thing about this club is that we’re all united. I know myself—I try to isolate myself from outside noise because I know it can affect me. My focus is always on the work, on making the team improve, the club grow, and giving joy to the fans. That’s what makes me happy. We know what happens when results don’t come, but I try to disconnect from it."
Words with the fans: "It comes naturally to me. I understand everyone. I stopped one by one; if they speak to me respectfully, I listen to everyone calmly. They’re the ones who sustain this world."
Duk as a striker: "He already played there in Ceuta. Depending on the match we do one thing with the ball and another without the ball that might benefit us. The important thing is that every player knows perfectly what their task is at each moment of the match, and that versatility always benefits the team."
Right‑back: "We have two or three alternatives. We’re going to assess it properly; we need to review that position and the structure."
Winter transfer window: "I think about the day‑to‑day, at most the next match. I don’t think beyond that. I believe firmly in the present; my focus is on the day‑to‑day."
Isolating from negativity: "It’s my responsibility as a coach—not only what you see tactically on the pitch, but also mentally. They have to believe in the work. We try to keep following the path and the messages set from day one."
Changing the way of playing: "Regardless of the structure, the main thing is the team’s identity. The principles are clear and the team believes in them. In our analyses we try to be as objective as possible, because otherwise we’d be fooling ourselves. We give the players a voice—I listen to them a lot. And we all agree that the right path is the one we’re following. There are always things that can help us improve. But if our previous home results had been different, last week’s match would have ended with applause. But given the current situation, what happened is normal. The team’s identity is very clear. This is football, and it’s complicated. That doesn’t mean we’re satisfied—there are many things to improve. But the team is very much alive and with every possibility of achieving all our objectives. The team strongly believes in what it is doing."