Luís Castro welcomes Levante’s escape from the relegation zone, but keeps his focus on the finish

“It’s good to get out of the relegation zone, although what matters is where we are at the end,” Luís Castro said after Levante’s goalless draw with Celta. The Levante coach was pleased with the result but cautious in his assessment: his side shared the points with Celta, whom he felt deserved more.

The draw sends Levante into the international break outside the relegation zone. The club has eleven points after twelve matchdays. Castro called it “a good point”, while acknowledging that his team could have done better after the break. “They were better,” he said of Celta, adding that the opposition had found ways through some situations even when Levante’s press was working well.

The coach also lamented his side’s lack of composure in midfield. Levante had possession in that area but sometimes gave the ball away without staying calm, he explained. He nevertheless praised his players’ commitment, saying their attitude and unity had earned them the point. He also acknowledged that they could have taken a late chance, though he did not feel a goal would have been deserved on the balance of the match.

Asked about his team selections, Castro said Mandi and Ify had been picked as part of a desire for continuity, not because Dela had been playing badly. He described Iván Romero’s inclusion as a tactical decision against Celta’s man-oriented pressing. In his view, Iván came on in the kind of game they had wanted in the second half, while Etta had performed well in recent matches.

Levante’s current position is no guarantee of what comes next, Castro argued. He recalled that the team had spent a long time bottom of the table last season, before stressing that only the final standings would count. He also warned that wins against Betis and Athletic did not mean Levante would beat teams lower down the table. “It’s better to be outside than inside,” he said, underlining the difficulty of the competition and the importance of this season for the club because of the fair-play rules.

The match also carried personal significance for the coach. Castro said the city was close to his home and that his mother, sisters and other people close to him were there. He added that he had known the city for a long time and that it was special to him.