Rubén Baraja (Valladolid, 1975) faces the final stretch of the preseason with renewed hopes. He trusts that the new sports director, Ramón Planes, will be able to make precise moves in the transfer market and build a competitive squad. He only thinks positively and doesn't give up on any goals, within the reality set by the situation.

How do you assess the team after the friendly against Murcia?

Preseason matches are complicated. Even more so against intense opponents like Real Murcia, which is a very good team in the Second Division B. I demand the minimum from the players: intensity, work, and attitude. That, for me, is non-negotiable. It's important that the squad, beyond the situation we live in, knows that the demand here is very high. I want maximum commitment.

What do you think of Isidoro and Hugo's debut?

We have to be careful. Hugo Álvarez played half of the match because Luca Iotti had some discomfort. Isi only played 20 minutes because he hasn't competed for a while.

Do you count on all the new arrivals or are there any that could leave?

I'm not aware of anything different. We all know that there has been a change in the sports direction. We will talk to Ramón Planes to learn about his ideas. The important thing is to know what team and what limitations we will have. That is the starting point to set sports goals based on the squad we will have.

Have they come with Baraja's approval?

At the club, we have been working for some time. The current situation is different from when we didn't know if we would be in the second or third division. The four new arrivals have come to help build a competitive team. There is little time and we must fine-tune a lot.

What do you think of Ramón Planes?

I'm told that he is a great professional. He has the ambition to help. We want to build a team that, at least, competes in the Second Division A.

The starting eleven for the league will be very different from the preseason one...

It's evident. We have to know our limitations and the budget to know what we can spend. The difficulty is great because there are less than 20 days left to start the competition, but we must remain calm and not rush into the market desperately. With patience, we will build a competitive team.

Alberto Perea said, as soon as he arrived, that the goal should be to be at the top. Is it a bit bold to think about that?

When you come to a big club like Elche, your mindset should be to look up. Everything will depend on the sports level we achieve and the salary limit. From there, we will assess the reality and tell it as it is. We won't deceive anyone with false and absurd expectations. The competition will put us where we deserve to be.

Do you think they are at a clear disadvantage?

There are teams that have been looking for signings for three or four months, and that helps with planning. In my life pattern, there are no excuses. I'm optimistic about what we can do in these two remaining weeks. My thinking is positive to find the right path.

In addition to the minimum professional contract, 65,000 euros, what else can they offer to interesting players to improve the squad?

When you don't have money, you have to rely on imagination and offer an exciting project. Elche is a recently relegated team, with magnificent conditions as a club, city, and fan base. There is a group of serious people who have bet on management and who will surely be responsible for starting to grow from scratch.