Quique Álvarez set the tone for Girona’s meeting with Las Palmas on Friday, saying he expects a competitive side when the teams meet on Saturday at Montilivi. He framed the game as a direct test for Girona in front of its supporters and made clear that the focus inside the camp remains on the match itself.
Álvarez described Las Palmas as a tough rival arriving with two victories and said its style has settled quickly under Rubén De la Barrera. He went further, calling it one of the best attacking teams in the category because of its ball control and associative play, the kind of opponent that can pull a match into a long, uncomfortable exchange if Girona is not sharp from the start.
That is why the Girona coach kept returning to his own team rather than the visitor. He said he wants to see Girona compete well and added that the week had brought a good attitude from the group, which he hopes will show in a side closer to what he saw on the first day than the second. For a club that is still working through an unusual start to the competition, the tone matters as much as the points.
But the pre-match message did not stay in the narrow frame of Saturday’s game. Álvarez also acknowledged that the squad could still change before the transfer deadline, which is four days away, while refusing to name possible reinforcements. He said he did not want to speak about names and made clear that the club expects some movement, even if not much, before the window closes.
There was also a blunt line about Víktor Tsygankov, whom Álvarez said is now at Ajax. He waved away any attempt to reopen that subject, an indication that Girona’s attention is divided between the pitch and the market even as the coach insists the immediate job is to compete in Montilivi. Saturday should show whether that message has landed: Girona wants the football to take over, but the week has already made clear that the roster may not be settled when the whistle goes.
