Borja Sainz wanted Gül’s goal: “Important for me, but happy for him” | OneFootball

Borja Sainz ended the match with a 3-1 win over AVS SAD, but also with the feeling that there were still details to improve on a night when the result did not completely erase the sense of high standards. In the aftermath, the Spanish winger looked at what was missing in the game, the weight of a target that slipped away, and also a move in which the goal could have been his, but ended up going to Deniz Gül. In the end, somewhere between frustration and detachment, he summed it all up with a simple idea: “I’m happy for him…”

In a reflective mood, Borja Sainz stuck to a clear line of thought: winning was always the priority, even in a context in which the team was already appearing as champions. The Spaniard spoke about sharpness, reaction and ambition, making it clear that, internally, the season is not exempt from demands just because the main objective has already been achieved.

Asked what the team lacked, Borja was direct and focused his answer on attacking efficiency, without giving up the idea that the intent was always there.

“We played to win, as always. We lacked some sharpness up front, but we played to get the 3 points.”

In this short sentence, you can see the competitive mindset the player wanted to underline: there was no relaxation, only a lack of efficiency. The reading is of a team that did not drift away from its commitment, even if it was unable to turn everything it tried into total control of the match.

When the conversation moved on to the team’s inability to hold onto the result with greater authority, the Spaniard went back to the moment of the equaliser and the way the team ended up suffering again. His answer also opened space for a broader idea about what the season has been.

“We equalised and they scored right away…,” he explained. “It was like throughout the season, we always try for the best. We are champions and we don’t want this to stain the season.”

There is a mix of frustration and protectiveness in this answer regarding what has been built. Borja does not hide his irritation at the way the game became complicated, but he also makes a point of placing the night within a bigger frame, refusing to let a slip affect the overall reading of the campaign.

The winger also stressed that the internal demands do not end with the title and that there was a specific target the team wanted to reach.

“Well… We always think about the 3 points and we went out to win. It’s a shame because we had the objective of 91 points, but it didn’t happen…”

This remark helps explain the tone of his analysis: even with the season already validated by champion status, the team wanted more. Not as a whim, but as the natural extension of a competitive ambition that Borja made a point of keeping at the centre of the conversation.

The more personal topic came up when he was asked about the move that made it 1-1 at the time, in which he lifted the ball over the goalkeeper and then saw Deniz Gül get a touch on it and claim the goal. There, Borja let a hint of frustration slip through, but without turning it into noise.

“The important thing is that it was a goal. I’m happy for him…,” he admitted. “Was it important for me? Yes, but the most important thing is that he scored and I’m happy about that.”

It is in this balance between the personal side and the collective that the answer carries weight. Borja Sainz admitted that the goal meant something to him, but chose to close the matter with generosity, placing what mattered most in the team’s benefit and his teammate’s happiness.

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