What did Gerardo Espinoza and Gilberto Sepúlveda have to say ahead of the Clásico de México? | OneFootball

A few hours before the first chapter of the trilogy of Clasicos de Mexico to be played this week, the press conference was held prior to the first leg of the Round of 16 of the CONCACAF Champions Cup 2025, in which Gerardo Espinoza and Gilberto Sepúlveda showed their motivation for this scenario, in addition to considering that there are ways to defeat the fierce rival to get ahead in the series and arrive motivated for the second match, corresponding to Day 11 of the Liga MX.

Gerardo Espinoza's words

"I arrived and found a group in good spirits and united in the dressing room. The disposition they show when working is very good".

"It's a nice opportunity to arrive and measure ourselves against a good rival. We want to be better.

"Throughout my career as a coach I have liked order and intensity. I want my team to be aggressive when defending and attacking, our energy is focused on that."

"Chivas is an important institution, it's a squad that I like and that we can fight for important things."

"It is very difficult for there to be radical changes because it has been a short time, what we want to improve immediately in terms of mood. We want the players' attitude to be very good and for us to be combative."

"América is a solid team, but we will fight the whole game to break them and take advantage at home."

"I saw young and experienced people, I noticed that we could achieve things on the field that could excite the fans. Wherever I stand I have the responsibility to do things well, I thank the board of directors because it is not normal to be given these opportunities in Mexican soccer."

"All competitions are important. Today we are up against América and that should be a separate motivation for everyone".

"Today we only saw references and forms of pressure, we adjusted a bit how to position ourselves. With the players' ability, we will make a lot of progress".

"There are players with a lot of quality that help to enhance styles of play. My point of view is that the team has a lot of ceiling in intensity, we will try to improve it."

"In my career I have used different formations. Here we can put together several and in turn mutate, looking to enhance what we have."

"In every club I come to I like to work tirelessly. I have realized that we do not stop being human beings, every group I have managed is different, we have to give each one his due place."

"Javier Hernandez is quite willing and works very well. Each one of our players deserves respect."

"Alan Pulido is also a great striker. We will see how the minutes are distributed, even at some point we could see them together if we play with double strikers."

"I am a hard-working coach. It's up to me to arrive and work to the maximum, I want the results to speak for me."

"It's a complicated trilogy but not impossible."

Gilberto Sepúlveda's best quotes."We are happy with Gerardo's arrival, we are united in the face of change. When something changes it is in search of being better, we are sure that this is how it is going to be".

"We are very focused on tomorrow's game".

"We have an opportunity, it will be important to face it in the best way. From the trench in which we participate, we must try to do our best and play a good game".

"We accept this responsibility, to the fans we say that we are committed and that we will give the best of ourselves."

"I am convinced that we are ready to win this series, I don't think it will be a surprise. It's important to focus on ourselves, not on the rest."

"We have been solid at home, it will be important to keep reaffirming this."

"This moment is important for me, there are good elements in the defensive zone. Raúl Martínez, Luis Rey and the arrival of Tapias was good for us".

"We have a day's work with Gerardo, but that's where our professionalism comes in. The coach already had a stint with Tapias and several members of the squad know him very well".

"We have talked among teammates about getting closer and closer as the fans are doing, we want to show it tomorrow".

"Many times there are things that do not depend only on us, obviously we accept our responsibility and we show our faces on the field".

"We go game by game, we must understand that at Chivas every game is a final."