TOlast guide does not move mills. Edu Expósito has left behind the soap opera that he lived in the last weeks of the market and is focused on returning Eibar to the highest category. The Catalan is the franchise player of the gunsmith team and, in addition, this year he has to be one of the captains of the dressing room. The clarity with which he plays is the same that characterizes him when it comes to answering the questions. The ’10’ attends to MARCA to talk about what happened in the summer, how he sees the team, his remarkable league start and his preferences when playing in the double pivot or in the midfielder.
I am demanding with myself and if I think I can be in First, I will want to do it; but there is no confrontation with the club or with anyone, we all row in the same direction
- The league start was not good with two defeats in a row, but little by little we are seeing the Eibar that everyone wants. Three games without losing and seven points out of nine possible.
- We are a lot of new people and with a new coach. The pieces must be adjusted in the best possible way so that the team feels comfortable. Players with experience have come, who know the category and who have the illusion of being able to play in First Division. It is the challenge we have.
- He has become a heavyweight in the dressing room and one of the referents of the fans.
- I am happy and excited. This year I am one of the captains and I face that role with enthusiasm, a lot of positivity and with the intention of helping the new ones in whatever way I can. I always try to reach out to those who need it and I also try to lean on those who can help me. Both Ramis, Enrich and Bigas helped me a lot my first year, they opened their arms to me as if I were one of their family and for me it was very important. Now I try to do the same with the new ones.
- Was it strange for you to arrive at Atxabalpe on the first day of preseason and not see so many people with whom you had shared a dressing room in recent years?
- This is soccer law and throughout a sports career you meet many colleagues. It is difficult because you bond with many people, although it is impossible for everyone to be friends. In life you have one hand those who are real, so imagine yourself in football. But it is true that you make friends for life. I can take a real friend and have him leave is screwed.
- Where do you feel most comfortable, midfielder or double pivot?
- Every footballer likes to be close to the area to score goals and give assists. I am comfortable in both positions because of the team’s system. Actually, I am not a natural playmaker, because I like to go down to receive the ball and participate a little in the creation, although I also enjoy being close to the area. In these games I have felt good in both.
- In Burgos he gave an exhibition in the half hour he was there.
- It went right. The team had done a good job and when I came off the bench I was fresh. I really wanted to show my potential and luckily things turned out well.
- Do you notice much difference from First to Second?
- In Primera, 90% of the players are very good. It is very difficult to leave them. There is a lot of quality. Soccer goes very fast and is played at a different pace. In Second, everything is more equal. The latter is capable of beating the former. It is a very demanding category and as long as you are not up to the task in any game, you do not get the points. You have to compete every day to the fullest because there is no easy game.
- What happened in the first three days in which he was not a starter and there was talk of his departure?
- I am demanding with myself and if I think I can have opportunities in First I will always want to do so. My level will mark in which category I have to play and when I am not able it will put me in my place. That will mark my performance. At no time did I comment that I did not want to play, but the good thing is that this is all over, I am focused on Eibar and I am grateful to the fans for how they have behaved with me. When I enter the field I try to give everything and nobody can tell me that I have not done it. There is no confrontation with the club or with anyone. We all row in the same direction with the aim of getting back to Primera as soon as possible.
- Does Garitano influence the analysis of the rival a lot or does he not give it so much importance?
- What we work the most is on ourselves. The coach always tries to visualize what we do wrong to correct it. Obviously we also look at the rival, but we are a team that is more focused on our own.
- There is a lot of difference between Garitano and Mendilibar, right?
- They are totally different. It is already known how Mendilibar is, who squeezes, screams and is very much on top of the players in every way. Garitano is also very above and in training they are quite similar. I don’t know if it is because they are Basque and it is the way of working here. When it comes to playing they are quite different.
- Gaizka is not so aggressive when looking for the rival.
- With Garitano we alternate high pressure with defending a little lower. With Mendi we knew that we left a lot of spaces behind and when we stole we did it in dangerous positions where we could hurt our opponents.
- The leader arrives in Ipurua. Important game to continue climbing positions.
- We have a very tough game. He has been showing that he knows the category, that he has high quality players. They will come here knowing that we are one of the greats of the competition, they will try to surprise us and take all three points. The team that best executes the plan will win the game. I hope that we enter the game well, that we come out with the attitude and energy necessary to win games in Ipurua, which is what the team and the fans need.
