Crystal Palace midfielder Yeremy Pino has said he will do everything he can to win the UEFA Conference League as his side prepare to face Rayo Vallecano in the final in Germany on Wednesday.
And that includes causing heartache for his compatriots, with a loss not even on the radar of the Spanish international.
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“I don’t like losing, even if it is against a Spanish team. It would hurt just as much to lose against anyone [so] I’m going to go out there ready to fight on the pitch,” said the 23-year-old, who was part of the Villareal side which beat Manchester United 11-10 on penalties in the UEFA Europa League Final in Gdansk, Poland back in 2021.
“The nerves are there despite the experience, but I have the same eagerness and the same desire. It’s a very prestigious trophy and it’s very important for the team, for the club, and for me personally as well, but the truth is, Spanish teams tend to play well consistently. They always have strong campaigns in Europe.
“But I know them very well myself – I played against them for many years. They’ve been doing things very well over these last few months, and it’s going to be a very, very tough match. I have helped them (Palace manager Oliver Glanser and his coaches) out by providing information; how certain players play, some of whom are actually former teammates and friends of mine.
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“But I am going to go out tomorrow to fight on the pitch and we are going out there to try to beat them. We’ll give it our absolute best shot to get the win.”
The midfielder was speaking at the pre-match media conference in Leipzig on the eve of the game which could see the South London club grab their third piece of major silverware in 12 months.
Another winner’s medal for Pino would add to what could be a successful summer after he was named in the Spain World Cup squad earlier this week – another positive step for the player who is now a fan favourite in South London after a difficult adjustment period to the English game.
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“You know what it means for a player to represent their country in a tournament as important as the World Cup,” he said. “To be honest, I’ve been feeling very confident these past few months; I feel really motivated and of course it’s only one game with my club tomorrow but we’re going to give it our absolute all to bring the cup home.”
