Villarreal CF boss calls for ambition ahead of European opener against top-level opposition

Villarreal CF head coach Iñigo Pérez has spoken in the Signal Iduna Park press room ahead of the match against Borussia Dortmund, Villarreal’s opening fixture in the UEFA Champions League league phase and their first European outing of the season (Tuesday, 9.00pm).

During his press conference, the Navarrese coach stressed the importance of putting recent league setbacks behind them and switching focus to the challenge ahead: “We have to detach ourselves from what has happened in recent matches and focus entirely on a game as important as the one we now face in the Champions League. We’re approaching it with excitement, concentrating on ourselves, without looking back at last year’s meeting and aiming for a positive result.”

That ambition is exactly what Villarreal have taken with them to Germany, hoping to put an end to a disappointing run of results with a prestigious victory in Europe’s premier club competition. “We’ve come here after a negative run and we want to turn it around. Tomorrow we’ll be looking to win the match and take all three points,” explained Iñigo Pérez.

While maintaining a positive outlook, the Villarreal coach is fully aware of the challenge posed by Dortmund: “We’re expecting a very recognisable opponent, similar to the team from Niko Kovač’s time. We know how difficult both the opposition and the venue are.”

Speaking about his own Champions League debut as Villarreal head coach, Iñigo admitted he is excited, while remaining fully focused on the task at hand: “It’s something that excited me when I arrived here. I won’t lie, I’m looking forward to making my debut in this competition, but I don’t spend too much time thinking about it. My focus is on how to approach the game, play well and get a good result.”

Comesaña: “We must improve on last year’s performance”

Midfielder Santi Comesaña also faced the media alongside Iñigo Pérez. The Galician believes Villarreal can learn from last season’s experience and produce a stronger display this time around.

“I hope we put in a better performance than we did last year. I think we’ve learned from our mistakes and we need to approach the match with greater composure. Last year we were nervous. We want to leave that behind and face this game with more calmness,” said Comesaña.

Despite acknowledging the difficulty of the challenge, the Villarreal No. 14 is convinced of his team’s capabilities: “I said it last year and I’ll say it again now, here in Dortmund: I’m sure we have the quality to win here. Villarreal are capable of winning in any stadium in Europe against any opponent. I’m convinced of that.”