‘Watford a challenge like Getafe’

Quique Sanchez Flores has compared his new job at Premier League Watford with his first spell at Getafe. ‘That team had a great atmosphere and passion.’

Sanchez Flores was hired by the top flight new boys after the exit of Slavisa Jokanovic, who guided the Hornets to promotion from the Championship as the fourth Coach of 2014-15.

“When they decided they weren’t keeping Jokanovic, they contacted me. It was explained that this is a new, exciting project and they wanted some of the characteristics I offer,” he explained in an interview with Marca.

“It’s a League I’ve been interested in for a long time. I think the challenge of moving my concept of football to the Premier League is exciting.

“The Premier League is different. I love the Spanish League very much. My roots are there and I’m not coming to England saying it’s the best. Spain is on the same level as the Premier League. For me, unquestionably, they’re the two best Leagues in the world.

“I’m not bothered that Watford had four Coaches last year. They changed usually for non-sporting reasons. Sometimes you can’t predict what will happen. Previously they were a very stable team. In fact, based on that, they’ve grown over the last few years.

“Feeling free to work and the demands I place on myself [make me happy]. When I come to training every day I feel like I have a lot to offer.

“It’s a challenge. The demand and the results are the same everywhere. It reminds me of my first season, many years ago, with Getafe. They’re similar. In that team, also newly-promoted, was a great working atmosphere and passion.

“I’ve told my players that they are going to succeed. They should continue as before: working humbly and with the difficulties that can arise. I haven’t yet told them how good they are, but we’ll get there.

“Watford have the same model as Villarreal. A working class population, unpretentious, but the club has the ambition to grow in the Premier League, improve its infrastructure, sign better players and play a different kind of football.

“If I didn’t give them something special I wouldn’t feel rewarded. I coach with the idea of giving the fans something that excites them. Our work in recent years isn’t based only on tactics but to touch the people who we work for. I’ve imagined our team in front of our fans, infected by emotion.

“We dream of a little more than staying up. We have the basis of last season and a number of new players. I think we’ll add some more, but it takes patience because it’s a team that starts to be known now and will be more reliable in time.

“I love all of Getafe’s players and some more than others. Of course, we can’t have everyone we love.

“I like the English style of manager a lot. Here I’ve had the good fortune to work with [owner] Gino Pozzo on decisions. If you’re not used to it, and in Spain you’re not, it’s a lot of extra energy.

“When you start your own work as a Coach you’ve already had an overload of watching the players and getting into some tasks that aren’t known to the Spanish trainer. But that’s a positive. It makes you better.”

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