García Pimienta (Almería) on the playoff setback and promotion pressure

García Pimienta, Almería’s coach, talks about the turning point after setbacks against Tenerife and Sabadell and how the playoff mistakes should “serve for the future”, as he tells MARCA. The Catalan explains that after the playoff disappointment, the dressing room understood that “what had happened” could not be fixed and that they had to stop repeating those errors.

He also acknowledges that promotion pressure is present because of the club’s recent history, but says he’s “calm” considering what he lived at Sevilla and in Las Palmas, where the target was to rise. His key takeaway: after the two defeats, they held an internal review, concluded that “what we were doing wasn’t enough”, and that response arrived against Cádiz.

Mindset and recovery

Pimienta stresses that “mistakes will always happen” and that you must forgive the player who tries. He points to his staff, naming Richi Serrés, the sports coach, who works with the group and individuals to stay up after conceding, and not let a goal derail the team. He adds context from his career, referencing his time at La Masia and his link to a young Leo Messi, before recalling how he was ultimately sacked at Sevilla following four consecutive losses.