Espanyol players: We respect our fans very much and therefore oppose the league being played overseas

This Sunday, Espanyol will face strong rival Atletico Madrid at home, and captain Exposito talked about the topic of this game at a pre-match press conference.

Exposito said in a press conference on Thursday: "Our primary goal is to relegation, because only if relegation is successful can we do more. Of course, we all hope to get a higher position in the standings and fight for important honors. But first, we have to make sure we stay in La Liga."

Speaking of the game against Atletico, Exposito thought: "Now is a good time to play against them, although they may also be a good time after the Champions League. At the end of the day, it's up to us. We had two draws against Atletico last season and did a good job. We hope to get an advantage at home since the beginning of the season. "

A good start is crucial, he added: "It is very important for us to win the first game and get as many points as possible at home, and hopefully this season will reduce the ups and downs. The team is in good shape and the enthusiastic support of the fans will also be a big help for us."

As one of the captains of this season, Exposito realizes that he needs to take on more responsibilities. He was well off the impact of his knee injury in the second half of last season and showed excellent form. He looks forward to further proving his strength this season: "I performed well in the second half of last season and played a lot of playing time. I feel very good, and I hope that both collectively and individually can achieve good results in the new season."

Talking about the areas where individuals need to improve, Exposito mentioned shooting ability. He has already made some achievements in the preseason against Newcastle and hopes to continue to maintain this momentum: "Manolo has requirements for me, I have requirements for myself, I need to score goals, help the team through long shots. This is what I am good at, and I have to make the most of this. I didn't score goals last season, so I hope to make a breakthrough in this regard."

Finally, on the two controversial topics of the transfer market and Barcelona's game against Villarreal in Miami, USA, Exposito also expressed his opinion: "both coaches and players want to change the timing of the transfer window closing, because one player may still play for one team today and went to another team two weeks later. This makes us uncomfortable and I think adjustments should be made."

Regarding the game in Miami, he said: "We have a lot of respect for our fans and therefore opposed such a game being scheduled abroad."