Carlos Martínez: "We've achieved our goal"

C.D. Leganés head coach Carlos Martínez addressed the media in a press conference following the match between the "pepinero" side and C.D. Mirandés at the Ontime Butarque Stadium, corresponding to the final matchday (42) of LALIGA HYPERMOTION, which ended in a 1-0 victory for the hosts.

The Extremadura-born manager assessed what took place on the pitch as follows:

The fans: "There have been so many emotions this week. It has been amazing. I never thought it would have such a massive impact. The people completely threw themselves into it and were re-energized by my arrival, and I never thought things could go wrong. When Lega calls, you have to take the risk. We were all crying on the bus during the welcome. It went far beyond the emotional aspect; we had to win, we brought some luck with us, and we achieved our objective of staying up. It has been very difficult, there were a lot of nerves, and it is tough for the players to perform under so much tension."

VAR decisions: "You feel much more helpless on the bench. We must congratulate Mirandés and their coaching staff; when nobody would have bet a dime on them, they arrived at the final stretch very much alive and almost pulled it off. Best of luck to the club and their fans, they will be back soon. I also want to mention Igor [Oca]; he came to our office to wish us all the luck in the world to pull this off. I want to thank him publicly. Luck plays a big part, but on a personal level, I want to send that message to people like him who kept rowing until the end, and I am sure they are absolutely thrilled today too."

The lineup: "Everyone wanted to play, they had an incredible week of training, but the match itself carries a lot of weight. We started well, but in the end, the fear of losing creeps in. These are highly emotional games. There are players who achieved promotion with the reserve team, they feel a deep connection to the club, and while you can criticize them for many things, nobody can question their commitment and their desire to improve. Sometimes things don’t turn out how we want, but a solid foundation is being built with homegrown players like Guirao, Leiva, and Garrido, who are making a strong impact."

Personal future: "I have absolutely no idea. They proposed that I come, and we left everything behind to be here. Everyone knows I have the desire to stay, but I’m not dwelling on it. I came for just one match, the objective has been fulfilled, and let those who have to decide make the decision. Beyond my role as a coach, I am a 'pepinero' fan, and I didn't want the team to go down on my watch. I am grateful to them for trusting me, which I know wasn't easy."

Cissé: "I've known his story from the very beginning. When he arrived, I took over the reserve team, and right before the first matchday, he had to travel back to his country. He would tell me, 'Papa, I'm on my way,' while playing over there and wanting to succeed. I am incredibly happy that things are going well for him. He is a mirror to look into because of his humility, his footballing level, and his commitment. Today he was playing through an injury and asked to be substituted. He succeeded here and he will continue to succeed out there. We wish him all the best."

Beautiful moments in Leganés: "I feel immense satisfaction, a huge pride that they counted on me. I feel like I belong here; I've spent a long time in professional football and the club has grown significantly over these years. There is a lot to take in and a massive emotional burden. It’s a very heavy weight. We had to hold on by any means necessary—it's easy to say, but it takes a toll mentally. When you are coming from below, it’s easier, but when you are carrying that fear, it becomes much harder."

Immediate future: "We haven't spoken about anything else yet. I have one month left on my contract in Saudi Arabia, they have offered me a renewal, and in theory, I have one more week of work there. They gave me permission to come here. We will discuss it. In theory, I am supposed to head back, but we haven't revisited the topic. We focused entirely on today, and it wasn't the right time to consider other things."

Mental preparation: "The players have their contracts, and if the team gets relegated, they lose out too. The entire club has grown so much that it simply doesn’t belong in a lower division. We were in a phase of mental exhaustion; we went out with the very clear idea of playing to win, but we didn't perform exactly how we wanted to. It’s very complicated, and that heavy slab was clearly visible on our players and inside their heads. It has been achieved, and it brings a tremendous sense of relief. Yesterday, while watching the Champions League final, I was thinking that this situation is much worse than losing a final. If you get there, you've already succeeded, but this was much more important."

Managing the situation: "I am a calm guy. I was very clear about accepting the job; I didn't want to be the person who relegated Leganés, but I truly believed we were going to pull through. We barely had any time to work on the pitch, and it’s difficult to translate ideas so quickly. However, we had many factors in our favor, and on a mental level, things shifted. We've had some luck, and football has given us a reason to celebrate."