What Ricardo Zielinski said after taking Belgrano to the Apertura final | OneFootball

The coach backed the performances of his players throughout the tournament and responded to the criticism received during the campaign. “We never give up. Some were saying we didn’t want to win a match so we wouldn’t have to play against Talleres. We went up against a whole lot of things that honestly get under your skin a bit,” he said at a press conference.

The Pirata coach highlighted the collective strengths that allowed the team to come from behind in La Paternal and force the match to be decided from the penalty spot. “I get the feeling the team has always shown character, a sense of belonging, and a strength that is always close to the people. We rose to the occasion,” he said. He also stressed the historic importance of playing the decisive match in his province: “The boys gave it everything they had. The people of Córdoba are finally going to see a final. There’s a real bond with the fans; we feel all their support.”

When asked about River, their opponent in the final next Sunday, May 24, whom he had previously faced in the 2011 relegation playoff, Zielinski avoided stirring debate over the historical background of the matchup. “You don’t get to choose your opponent; we like playing good matches. It’ll be a nice, intense game and, above all, an even one like all matches in Argentine football. It’s an important match, one we’ve been waiting for a long time, and we hope to give the people something to celebrate.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.