Rubén Albés: “We have to focus on the next game and do better”

C.D. Leganés head coach Rubén Albés held a press conference following Friday’s match between the Pepineros and Córdoba C.F. at Ontime Butarque Stadium, part of Matchday 10 of LALIGA HYPERMOTION 2026/27, which ended in a 0-1 loss.

The blue-and-white coach assessed what happened on the field as follows:

A fair loss: “I consider it unfair, because there was a clear foul right before the goal. There’s no other way to interpret the 0-1 result.”

Morata: “Ever since he came on, it seems like certain things changed in the game—the fouls, the frustration… I have a hard time understanding it. I don’t know what happened; I think the first yellow card was for trying to help a player back up quickly. I don’t know how that’s classified in the rules. The second was for protesting; it seemed obvious he wasn’t going to finish the game on the field.”

Something to take away: “The players gave it their all—heart and soul—and gave everything they had. The match was more evenly matched than it might seem, but it’s nothing like the games against Cádiz or Almería.”

Responsibility: “I’m ultimately responsible—not the only one, but ultimately.”

Mallorca as the final test: “This isn’t my style. It’ll be a very important game for Leganés because we need to get back to winning as soon as possible. There’s a lot at stake for all of us, not just the coach. I’ve never given up in my life; I’m stronger than ever, and I know what we need. I’m really frustrated today about what happened.”

Changes: “We were looking for new solutions to things that hadn’t worked. We tried to be as bold as possible, but we weren’t particularly good with the ball. Everyone needs to step up—that’s the bottom line.”

Confidence issue: “When you don’t win, you always play with less confidence. Regardless of that, that’s life—you get knocked down, you mess up—and you have to move on to the next game to make decisions. We have to take responsibility; I’ll take mine, and we all have to do the same, and let go of what we could be and focus on who we are today. That’s where the failures of the season come from.”

On expectations: “We’re coming off three losses, and the process is about improving over time. I can’t expect to be at my best against Mallorca. We’ll have to go out to win; it probably won’t be the most brilliant game, but that’s where we have to start. We’re going to take steps forward. If we hit a slump, we have to bounce back, push harder, and improve. This is a gradual process.”

Morata on the bench: “I was looking for a player who I thought would perform better given the kind of game we were going to face.”

Message: “I don’t send messages to the players; I don’t need a press conference for that. I’m saying this for everyone. We’re coming off four losses, and we can’t expect to pick up six points at a time. We have to focus on the next game and do things better, with our minds set on the next game.”