Bonaldo returns and reaffirms his team’s belief

“This team always believes,” says Bonaldo, who is available again after spending almost a month away from the pitch. The Brazilian defender returns after carrying on through the early rounds with a fractured toe when the squad was short of players. He eventually had to stop to recover.

Being sidelined was difficult. After the match in Ceuta, Bonaldo told Ràdio Sabadell that being away with an injury could leave him “a little anxious, wanting to come back.” He first returned against Andorra but did not play. A week later, he was back in the starting line-up for his team’s first away win.

Bonaldo also links that belief to the collective spirit in the dressing room. In his view, the team has no stars: everyone works for the group. He describes a mentality built around continuing to believe, even when circumstances appear to be against them.

In Ceuta, with the score level after Edgar’s sending-off, Joserra Campos, the set-piece analyst, came over to encourage him to keep believing in a victory. Bonaldo says that conviction was shared, and that the bench made the team feel a win was still within reach.

The defender’s return is therefore accompanied by a message centred on solidarity and confidence. Bonaldo says the group intends to remain true to that approach and keep working with humility.