The Catalan coach of UD Almería, Rubi, was clear and candid in his pre-match press conference ahead of the first leg of the semi-finals for promotion to the First Division. In his statements, Rubi did not hesitate to describe the promotion phase as 'adulterated', arguing that the absence of important players from the opposing team, Castellón, due to their World Cup call-ups, distorts the competition.

"If you know me, you know the answer is very easy, yes it is. The answer is very easy, if you know me. It doesn't change my opinion at all. No one has fought harder than me. You pay for some players and then you don't have them," stated Rubi, explicitly referring to the absences of Mabil and Brian Cipenga from the Castellón squad.

Despite this circumstance, the red-and-white coach assured that the team is not arriving in poor form and does not feel they have to overcome additional obstacles. "We are not arriving badly to the promotion 'Play Off' to the First Division, I don't feel I have to overcome any obstacles," he declared. He added that he is "well, very eager, and all that's left is to push to help Almería" and that he is "super perfect, very eager to get through the semi-final tie."

Rubi also highlighted the commitment of all Almería players, regardless of their contractual situation for the next season. "All the Almería footballers are going all out in the promotion 'Play Off' to the First Division, whether they have a contract with the club for next season or not. The commitment from everyone is enormous," he affirmed.

Finally, the coach emphasized the importance of unity and fan support to achieve the promotion goal. "I insist, we all need to go united because we are playing for something very beautiful. To eliminate us, they will have to beat us thanks to the third place we achieved at the end of the regular season with 42 matchdays." The coach is confident of victory this Saturday at Castalia against Castellón, warning that they are a dangerous opponent.