Emotionally charged and muffled, wrapped in mourning yet stubbornly hopeful, the coach speaks in a subdued voice while his team still eyes a playoff push in three weeks. The only reason he clings to the possibility is the two upcoming home fixtures at Rico Pérez within the next fortnight, games that could define whether the Alicante club keeps its dream alive. Alzira and Saguntino Athletic loom as the next tests, and the mood swings between sorrow and resolve are evident. The lingering emotion is bitter and sweet, a shift from a season-ending farewell sparked by Eimil’s goal to a real chance to chase remaining options.
Lolo Escobar’s increasingly intricate and cautious rhetoric continues to lean on mathematical logic, even when the sense of momentum feels fragile. The squad misses certain elements, especially at the top end of the pitch. They defend well, yet the absence of a clear, defining creator leaves critical situations unresolved and punished. Just before Zaragoza pressed, the blue-and-whites stood up for their cause but the goal by the substitute scorer Guillem Naranjo left the coach feeling the gap more acutely, noticing how long the striker stood isolated at times. That concern lingered as the team regrouped.
“They’re going to have to kill me to give up hope,” the coach repeats, and now, at the season’s waning hours, mathematics has become the most practical player on the field.
“This goal didn’t win us the match, but it kept us in the fight and hopeful. I’ve got belief in the squad; they’ll have to kill me to make me lose it. We’re very close to saying goodbye to the season, yet we still have another chance and we will take it”, Escobar asserts, outlining with precise clarity the objective: win the three remaining games and secure a nine-point haul to reach the playoffs, all without elevating his voice and carrying a tired, almost exhausted air as he repeats the plan.
“I’m not sure if two home games right now is a blessing or a test, but every team wants to play in front of their fans. I want that too,” the blue-and-white boss explained, explaining the decision to manage fitness and rotation, with Michel replacing Toscano for body refreshment and tactical balance.
“I thought I could win this game without Michel or Toscano; both needed rest, neither had legs.”
The coach recalled the moment, insisting that the plan was to contend with a younger opponent and that rest for the two veterans was essential. He believed the squad needed a renewal, and the afternoon’s showing suggested that the team could stand up to younger rivals when legs were available. He noted the need for energy in the lineup and the benefits of fresh impulses on the field, acknowledging that the match demanded more pace and intensity.
“We conceded two corners, and one of them produced a goal that disappointed us, though the overall defending impressed me for most of the game. We did not deserve to lose, and Víctor’s late appearance on the right wing kept us alive. The season isn’t over yet. If we drop six points, we still have a home stretch that could deliver what we aimed for last week”, Escobar reiterated before boarding the bus toward Alicante, the sense of urgency clear in his tired cadence.