Borja Jiménez was deeply frustrated after his team’s defeat and did not hide his feelings in the press room at El Molinón. The Sporting manager, who explained that Juan Otero’s back issues flared up, preventing him from playing, expressed regret over the performance his side produced.
On the match:
“We didn’t start the way we should have. We found ourselves 1-0 down too quickly. We couldn’t win the ball back, we never felt like we were threatening. From the midfield forward, we were very erratic. It was a bad performance.”
On Ceuta’s superiority:
“We lacked the ability to win possession. I don’t think they had more organization than us.”
On the disconnect:
“It makes me very angry. We were disconnected out there. It had nothing to do with what we’ve shown in recent weeks. We talked about it a lot during the week. We can’t do what we did today—I’ve said it a thousand times. Not for what our badge represents.”
The biggest anger:
“Yes, this is the most frustrated I’ve ever been after a game. The fans put in the effort during the week, and we need to give a lot more. We saw a poor version of several players. We have to keep a cool head and face the remaining weeks with dignity—for the competition, for the badge, and for personal interests. This has to end in the best possible way because the club has a lot at stake too. I don’t like the feelings.”
On the poor image:
“I don’t think we dragged the badge through the mud. To avoid what happened today, we need to go to Málaga and win. We have to be more focused. Whether the team finishes 13th or 15th, we can’t just look at the performance of four players. They are the ones who need to step up first. We have to do a thorough analysis of the first half today.”
On the improvement after the break:
“There was a change between the first and second halves. We started well, we had a few chances close to goal. I think the second half had nothing to do with the first.”