Malaga vs Getafe preview - Codina: We won't stay sad Getafe

Posted Saturday, February 28, 2015 by PA

Getafe captain Jordi Codina insists the club will overcome the surprise departure of their coach Quique Sanchez Flores.

Sanchez Flores announced he was resigning from the post in a press conference on Thursday, just two months after succeeding Cosmin Contra.

Reserve team coach Pablo Franco will take charge of the team for their trip to Malaga on Saturday, with president Angel Torres expected to name a new coach - the club's fourth in 12 months - early next week.

Codina explained the announcement took him by surprise, but insisted he does not believe his sudden departure spells disaster for the club.

"We were not expecting Quique to leave, but we have to respect his decision," the goalkeeper told a press conference.

"We are going to keep on looking forward and we're going to do everything possible to make the best of this situation, because we are a united group, as we have always shown."

Codina also gave his backing to Franco.

"Pablo is the chosen one and now we are all right behind him. He met with us today and has transmitted his excitement to us. We have to stay united and keep on working hard.

"The players are committed, playing with intensity in our play and things are going to continue to go well for us. We aren't worried."

Sanchez Flores won three and lost four of the seven league games in his second spell in charge of the club, leaving them 14th in the table and four points above the relegation zone.

The former Atletico Madrid and Valencia coach has not made it clear what drove him to leaving the post so early, only telling a press conference: "This is a personal decision derived from a vital reflection I made in order to prevent me repeating previous situations where I was not happy."

However, the sale of midfielder Jorge Sammir to Chinese outfit Jiangsu Sainty during the week has been reported to have played a role in his sudden decision to quit.

Codina has been left out of the squad for the trip to Malaga, which midfielder Mehdi Lacen will also miss due to suspension, but French forward Karim Yoda returns after five weeks out with an ankle injury

Midfielder Juanpi is the only fresh injury concern for Javi Gracia's side, who last week beat Barcelona 1-0 at the Nou Camp to move on to 38 points.

However, Gracia does not want his team to start thinking about the possibility of earning a European spot, telling a press conference: "If we speak about Europe we'll deflect attention what is really important, which is beating Getafe."