Rubi: 'We were very happy, now we aren't, but we're going to fight to be that way again'

Joan Francesc Ferrer Sicilia 'Rubi' celebrated his 100th game at the helm of the UD Almería first team against Burgos CF on the past Matchday 8. It is a real milestone in his coaching career so he looked back to recall spectacular successes, as well as to give his take on the current situation of his side. 'We're actually having a bad start to the season, far below what I thought we could be. There are several recipes and in fact, we're working to look for situations where the team wake up at once and and for all. A lot of things have happened in these 9 fixtures, which also influence the results, but what I'm well aware of, and although we've been saying it for weeks, is that we cannot be a team that ship goals so easily. As soon as we correct that, I have no doubt that we'll start moving forward.' 

 

The Catalan gaffer arrived at UD Almería at the start of the 2020/21 season. The following campaign, Rubi inspired the Rojiblancos to earn promotion to the Spanish top flight and in the 2022/23 season, the team secured top-tier safety. Needless to say, great achievements which he recalls in a special way: 'We were very happy, now we aren't, but we're going to fight to be that way again. We cherish the memories. I remember that they were valued, but as if it were a normal thing and that isn't the case. We have to take advantage of those situations because we know that sooner or later, things will turn the other way.'

 

The Vilassar de Mar head coach is convinced that the Club has made great progress in recent years: 'We arrived with burning enthusiasm and strength because we knew it was a growing team. We enjoyed it and together we achieved great things. Those two seasons were fantastic, it's true that now the results have worsened but this Club is much better than when we arrived in different aspects.'

 

Rubi has confirmed several times that he feels like another Almeriensista, which is why he suffers so much from this situation: 'It hurts me more than ever. We arrived this season with the fresh hope of changing the situation in terms of results. It hurts me. For people in general, it makes me look for solutions. What baffles us is that we're a team capable of one day performing at our electric best, the next doing wrong...and that cannot be.'

 

During the interview, Rubi also confessed what his key is to coaching a squad: 'I believe in the formula of being demanding, as the footballer sees spaces, he gets in there. I think what has brought me here is being rigorous and not stopping working hard.'