Deportivo coach Hidalgo: “We are newly promoted, and clearly our goal is survival”

New signings Josema Giménez and Marc Casadó have not changed Antonio Hidalgo’s message: Deportivo’s first task after promotion is to stay in LaLiga.

“We are newly promoted. We are going to have to fight, suffer and compete every day at the limit to get the 42 or 43 points that give you safety,” the Deportivo coach said at a news conference. He added that the club’s objective is to secure survival as soon as possible.

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We are newly promoted. We are going to have to fight, suffer and compete every day at the limit to get the 42 or 43 points that give you safety. The objective is clearly set by the club, and it is none other than securing survival as soon as possible.

Hidalgo said both players are ready to play against Villarreal at the Estadio de la Cerámica. Their situations are not identical, however. Giménez has already played in two of Atlético Madrid’s three league matches, while Casadó’s match readiness is different.

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Order and balance with and without the ball

The arrivals have also forced Hidalgo to reconsider how he will fit the team together. He said he must find “order and balance with and without the ball,” combining the squad’s talent, ability to unsettle opponents and inside play. The coach described the season as long and difficult, insisting that humility must come first.

He expects a match of “maximum demand” against Villarreal, a team that presses high, keeps possession and attacks through wide one-on-one situations. In the top division, Hidalgo said, teams change their structures during matches, leaving no room for anything less than total commitment.

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Maximum demand