Rayo Vallecano coach Iñigo Pérez has stated that seeing Vallecas celebrate a potential Conference League title in its streets would be a dream. On the eve of the final against Crystal Palace, the coach highlighted that the team represents the example that those who always suffer can also achieve success. Pérez affirmed that the excitement in the neighborhood makes it easier to manage the emotions and workloads of the dressing room.
Optimizing workloads and emotions as a tactical advantage 🧠
Iñigo Pérez detailed that the management of physical and emotional workloads at Rayo is based on the attachment to and acceptance of suffering as part of the club's DNA. This approach, which combines performance data with the connection to the fans, allows the team to maintain high intensity without mental burnout. The coaching staff uses metrics of effort and fatigue, but the extra motivation from the neighborhood acts as a catalyst that, according to Pérez, makes players perform beyond their analytical potential.
The day suffering became the game plan ⚽
If Rayo wins the Conference, Vallecas won't know whether to celebrate the title or burst into tears out of sheer habit. Iñigo Pérez has normalized suffering so much that no one knows anymore if the team suffers because they play well or play well because they suffer. The truth is, while other clubs seek massages and psychologists, in Vallecas the treatment is simple: a bit of attachment to pain, a bit of excitement, and off they run. If they lose, at least they will have suffered in style.