Talavera boss reacts with pride after unforgettable night vs Real Madrid – ‘Wish I could play games like this every week’ | OneFootball

Talavera’s Copa del Rey journey may have come to an end, but the way they exited the competition left a lasting impression. 

After a dramatic 2-3 defeat against Real Madrid in the round of 32, head coach Alejandro Sandroni faced the media with a mix of pride, emotion, and satisfaction. 

Rather than focusing on disappointment, the Talavera manager chose to highlight the spirit and effort shown by his players on one of the biggest nights in the club’s history.

When asked about the feeling left by the narrow scoreline against the Spanish giants, Sandroni immediately set the tone. 

“I’m not going to talk about the football. It was a beautiful night. In terms of football, we always want to win, but our passion lasted until the 93rd minute.” 

About the performance

The conversation then shifted to Talavera’s second-half display, where they showed more attacking intent and pushed Real Madrid deeper than many expected. 

Sandroni was quick to explain that bravery is always relative when facing a club of Madrid’s level

“We were as brave as Madrid allowed us to be. In the first half, we played a spectacular defensive game. 

“They went 0-2 up and thought it would be easy. We talked about how we didn’t care about the result and that we had to continue with the goal of making the fans proud of the players.”

Talavera gave Real Madrid a tough fight. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

There was also a discussion around a penalty decision during the match. However, Sandroni refused to be drawn into refereeing debates. 

“I haven’t seen it, so I won’t comment. It’s up to you to judge. It’s not my place. I said the other day that it’s very rare for me to talk about referees.”

On facing Real Madrid

One of the most striking moments of his press conference came when he was asked about the challenge of facing Real Madrid, often jokingly described as entering “Disneyland” for smaller clubs. 

Sandroni embraced the idea with honesty and emotion, saying, “I wish I could play games like this every week, because it brings out the best in all of us. 

“I expected it to happen, and now it has, and I’m extremely proud of what the team has achieved. We got what we could out of it. I’ve fulfilled one of my dreams.”

Finally, when questioned about whether he expected more from Real Madrid, Sandroni once again shifted the focus back to his own players and the respect shown on the pitch. 

“I focused a lot on my team because I couldn’t control that. Then there are a lot of journalists who are going to analyse it.” 

He then concluded by adding a note of appreciation towards the opposition, saying, “I just want to thank them for their behaviour too, because I feel that at times they gave their all and that made us improve.”

Source: AS