FC Andorra Defender Alende: Survival Top Priority After Zaragoza Win

FC Andorra defender Diego Alende has reiterated that avoiding relegation remains the club's top priority in Spain's Segunda División, with the team three points clear of the drop zone after 27 matches.

Sitting 17th in the table ahead of Real Valladolid, the Andorran outfit secured a crucial win over direct rival Zaragoza, ending a run of three straight defeats and four games without victory. Alende, who returned to the starting lineup under coach Carles Manso after 12 matches on the sidelines, said the result was vital "to regain sensations and confidence" and "feel what it is to win again," boosting team morale.

"It's the first thing we have to do, and from there, if we can, look upwards," the Galician centre-back stated this morning, reflecting the dressing room's long-held focus on survival. He stressed a shared need for greater assertiveness in both penalty areas, calling it a collective issue. "We have to keep improving because we concede too many goals and struggle to score despite creating plenty of chances," Alende noted, echoing recent comments from Manso.

The defender praised the squad's professionalism, adding that he trains at full intensity regardless of selection: "Whether I play or not, I train the same and always try to be ready when called upon."

Attention now turns to a challenging away match at Córdoba on Monday. The seventh-placed hosts, pushing for the play-offs under former Andorra player Jacobo González and featuring international goalkeeper Iker Álvarez, have suffered back-to-back losses. Alende described the fixture as "complicated" and "exigent" but confirmed the visitors' approach: "We'll go out with the same mentality as always, to win," aiming to seal permanence as soon as possible.