Igor Oca: "We're Lega, we have to win every game and even more at home"

C.D. Leganés head coach Igor Oca spoke this Friday in the pre-match press conference ahead of the game between the pepinero side and Real Sporting at the Ontime Butarque Stadium, corresponding to Matchday 19 of LALIGA HYPERMOTION.
The coach assessed the team’s situation before the match as follows:

Absences: "We get Pauwels and Marvel back after serving their suspensions. We remain without Pulido, Figueredo and Rubén Peña. The rest are available, to a greater or lesser extent, but available."
Confidence: "It’s oriented toward doing our best in every action, whether in training sessions or in matches. My future is not the most important thing. I’ve felt confidence from day one, and what matters is that the players feel it too, and I sense that they do. We are Lega—we have to try to win every match, and even more so when we play at Ontime Butarque in front of our fans. That’s important."
Sporting: "They’re close to the playoff spots, on an upward trajectory, and with a coach who has generated a change. I don’t think the Copa will affect them—they tried to compete, but they focused on the league. A very complex team. I think Borja’s return will be special, and I don’t know if it will make him pay more attention."
Morale boost: "I see them better every day. Beyond the disappointment of dropping two points in the last match, you could see on their faces that they had been themselves, had shown what we are, and when we play like that, we can beat anyone."
Motivation of playing against Borja: "I see a tremendously motivated and switched-on group. Each player will have an extra bit of motivation depending on their experiences, but I don’t think it will be very decisive. The motivation comes from wanting to share a victory with the fans—that’s what we want. They helped us a lot against Córdoba, and those who traveled to Santander… Ending the year by sharing the three points with them is what motivates the players the most."
Improvement: "This is a quality squad from day one. There are matches that hurt confidence, and with this change we’ve tried to generate positive momentum so the players can show all their qualities. If they are in an optimal state of self-belief, they will give their full performance, especially at our stadium."
Lack of finishing: "In professional football you need to score. We create good chances, and we have the attacking players to work with them and find the right context. Confidence is high, mistakes are tolerated, and we focus on the work so they can improve. I see them switched on, no matter who plays."
Type of match: "Our fans always show a lot of respect. I feel it towards us and towards our opponents. Borja deserves a warm welcome for what he did here, and I wish him the best from the following day onward. Sporting is an organized team, with clear ideas, very pragmatic. We will need to take the initiative and be extremely brave, with and without the ball. Reduce the amount of time we don’t have it, and win it back high up the pitch."
Jorge Sáenz: "His recovery has been very good, but he comes with fewer minutes than other players."
Future: "From day one the club has been very clear, and I’ve felt that confidence. We are very clear that what matters is the match. Players want to win. They know we don’t have anything to spare, and any energy we invest in things unrelated to the match will take us further from winning it. The goal is to leave happy and share the three points with the fans."
Confidence at home: "Mentally the team is ready. It helps that the fans support us a lot. It gives us that joy of moving forward together. We know that on the last matchday of the year they will be here with us, and that will help a lot."
Leiva: "The academy players are having a lot of presence. He is one more option—we already considered him against Córdoba and Santander. Having Lalo available also makes us consider that option."
Borja’s motivation: "These are very personal matters. He has nothing to prove here—he did a great job and feels loved. Maybe it will feel a bit special for him, but at a competitive level nothing changes. We will wish him the best from the next match onward."