Luis Carrión: “I want us to be a winning team, and I want that to translate into points”

C.D. Leganés head coach Luis Carrión appeared at a press conference on Friday ahead of the team’s match on Saturday (4:15 p.m.) against R.C.D. Mallorca at Ontime Butarque Stadium, as part of Matchday 11 of LALIGA HYPERMOTION 2026/27.

The new Blue-and-White coach offered the following assessment ahead of his debut match on the bench:

Impressions: “My first impression is of a squad that works hard—people who are committed. They have a very high technical level, are fully engaged, are frustrated by the current situation, and are eager to turn things around. They’ve worked very well all week, and hopefully things will go well tomorrow.”

Time to Reach Peak Performance: “We have to keep evolving. You almost never reach an absolute peak—there are highs and lows—but we have to be consistent. We want tomorrow to be like that, and for that to translate into three points.”

Roster: “We have enough people—players, staff, employees… Everyone has an incredible willingness to do things right. I like the team, and we’ll work to get the results.”

Absences: “Atienza, with a muscle issue, and Morata. We have a few players dealing with minor injuries, and we’ll decide tomorrow.”

Lineup Changes: “When a new coach arrives, people get re-energized. We have to maintain that over time. Everyone needs to know they can play. We don’t have an overly large roster; I’ve seen everyone perform well. We’ll choose what we think is best for tomorrow.”

Diawara: “Everyone is available. We’ve had five high-intensity physical training sessions, and I’ve seen all the players perform very well.”

Changes to the system: “Formations are flexible. There’s a set formation at the start of the game, but players move around. We’ll try to choose what we think is best to get closer to the opponent’s goal—that’s what we want.”

Offense: “The responsibility for scoring shouldn’t fall on just one player. We need to create more opportunities to increase our chances of winning. The team has worked hard, and we’ll try to capitalize on what we think can hurt Mallorca. I’m starting with a clean slate and trying to assess what the team can do moving forward and identify areas for improvement.”

First week: “I’ve been surprised by everyone’s willingness to make things work. Sometimes that’s hard to find, and it’s very positive. From day one, I’ve seen a team with drive; I didn’t see a team that was downcast in the last game either. We’ll aim to improve day by day and rely on the players who want to grow and keep getting better.”

Playing Style: “We want a team with a distinct identity—aggressive with and without the ball—that strives to play the way we’ve trained for as much of the time as possible. We want to be a winning team, no matter who we’re playing against, and gradually turn all of that into points, which is what we’re after.”

Squad Potential: “The team has the disposition to perform well day in and day out. It’s a technically skilled team; if you add to that mental and physical strength, and if everyone contributes to making things go well, it’s only natural that things will go well. We have to remain consistent whether we win or lose, work hard, and believe we can win every game. That’s the mindset I want in my team.”

Goalkeeping: “Luca, Raúl, Nico, and Ale are top-notch goalkeepers. I have four of a very high caliber.”

Morata: “Most people who reach his level are good people. He’s a player with a strong mentality; he’s helping the team, and I’m sure he’s going to have a great season. When you have top-level players, like the ones we have, they have to shine and score goals, and I’m sure they’ll do just that.”

Position versatility: “There are players who can play in different roles. Gharbi, Kechta, Soko, Unax… There are many high-caliber players you can adapt depending on the system. There are players with a lot of positional flexibility, and that’s a good thing.”