Claudio Giráldez said Celta’s session on the eve of Celta Vs Betis had to shift into recovery mode because of fatigue, but he drew a firm line under that reality. The coach said the delay altered the rhythm of the day’s work, then added that tired legs and a compressed schedule cannot be used as an excuse for failing to play a good match against Betis.
That warning lands today because Celta had only one day to prepare, while Betis had two more days of work. Giráldez framed the difference as part of the challenge, not a shield from it, and said the side must get the energy right both in the starters and in the substitutions if it wants to compete on level terms.
He also set out why the opponent demands so much. Betis is in the Champions League, has kept the same coach for many years, competes in Europe year after year and arrives with talent, resources and sharp recruitment. Giráldez said it becomes very difficult to stop them if Celta does not win the ball back, and that the home side must stretch Betis into a long team, force them to run backward and make them defend in zones where they are less comfortable.
The constraints are not only tactical. Giráldez said he is not rotating much because Celta is very limited in certain positions, which leaves him with fewer levers than he would like. Even so, he said changes will come because they are inevitable, and he linked that to the team’s next run of games, with a Copa match waiting after Betis. In that kind of schedule, he said, it is difficult to maintain the level every four days, which is why energy management matters as much as shape.
His view of the squad is still upward-looking. Giráldez said the victory in Glasgow showed Celta were more precise, better positioned and operating at a better physical and mental rhythm, and that the team is moving through an ascending process. He pointed to improving automatisms, better work in the final third and stronger pressing, while naming Febas and Burcio as examples of players whose participation is helping the team understand itself more fully. He said that kind of progress matters because wins give the side more calm and more freedom to try things in the game.
Among the individual names, Javi stood out. Giráldez said growing at this stage would suit him, describing him as very calm and someone who prefers to stay out of the spotlight. He also said Iker Losada has no minutes at Betis, a reminder of how wide the gap can be between promise and opportunity. For Celta, the immediate test is whether that promise can hold up under fatigue, against a Betis side Giráldez sees as deep, seasoned and difficult to stop if it gets control of the ball.
