Barda and Coco ahead of Hapoel Jerusalem: "If we think we’re superior and don’t sweat and bleed on the pitch - we’ll drop points"
Hapoel will host Hapoel Jerusalem tomorrow (Friday) as part of Matchday 23 in the Winner League. Head coach Eliniv Barda and defender Marcus Coco spoke at the pre-match press conference.
Barda opened by addressing the opponent: "Hapoel Jerusalem are a team we didn’t manage to beat in the first round and they’ve taken 9 points from the last 15. They’re very tough, well-organized and disciplined - and I’m sure it will be a close and difficult match".
"We’re focused on the here and now, everything else is history", the coach added. "We came through an away match against Tiberias that was important for us to win, and now we’re coming back home aiming to continue the run. There hasn’t been a single home game this season that I can say was easy. From the first minute to the last we’ve had to stay fully focused. The moment we think we’re better, without running, sweating and bleeding on the pitch - we’ll lose points".
On the squad situation: "There’s competition in our squad for every single minute. Everyone has to prove they deserve them. Whoever proves it will get the minutes. We’ve had many injured players recently but we never used that as an excuse, we simply made the most out of what we had. Thankfully, we now only have two injured players, and I hope they’ll return soon".
"We focus on ourselves, on the good things we do and on improving the less good things. Of course we’d be happy if that takes us as high as possible, but first of all we must do the small things as well as we can. The playoffs are ahead of us and we want to reach that starting point in the best possible position, and for that we need to collect as many points as we can".
Barda addressed the Red supporters: "The kickoff time isn’t routine, but I’m sure the stadium will be painted red and there will be an amazing atmosphere. Our fans have been doing incredible things since the start of the season. They help us and push us, and there isn’t a single player on the pitch who doesn’t feel it. The upcoming match is very important for the club, and the fans will need to help us reach peak motivation and energy, because there’s no other way".
"The atmosphere at the club is amazing", Marcus Coco shared. "I didn’t think it would be like this, like one big family. In the two teams I played for in France there wasn’t this kind of family feeling - the teammates, the club staff and the fans. It’s very important to me and I love it".
On life in Israel: "Life here is going very well. My partner and I are very happy and glad to be here. The situation is completely different from what they show on TV. What happened in the summer? Personally, I wasn’t afraid, but the decision wasn’t only mine - my partner’s family was a bit worried. In January we decided this was the best thing for us".
On the goals for the rest of the season: "It’s natural and normal that we dream about the top. We work for it day after day. In the end, I think it’s better for us to focus only on the next match, so we can be fully concentrated on it".
When asked about his accumulation of yellow cards, the defender replied: "I need to work on that, I know. I don’t like being non-aggressive during a match. First of all, I’m a defender and I need to defend. I know I have to improve that to receive fewer yellow cards".
