Petrot's rallying cry: 'We always want more and to keep winning matches'
Elche's French defender reflects on Cup disappointment, personal growth in Spain and the team's ambitions for the second half of the season.
The French defender who found the net against Real Betis in the Copa del Rey speaks about his adaptation to Spanish football and Elche’s hunger to push on after a promising first half of the season.
Cup heartbreak but eyes forward
Léo Petrot has broken his silence after an intense week where he grabbed the headlines in Elche’s Copa del Rey clash with Betis. Despite the bitter disappointment of their cup exit, the Frenchman is keeping his chin up and focusing on what’s next rather than dwelling on the controversial decisive moment that saw them eliminated.
While admitting the dressing room was gutted to exit a competition they’d invested hope in, Petrot’s not interested in getting bogged down in referee debates. He revealed he didn’t receive any clear explanation for the contentious decision but prefers to avoid dialogue with officials during matches to maintain his competitive focus.
Finding his feet in Spain
On a personal level, Petrot appears to be loving life in his new Spanish surroundings. His first professional experience outside France has been a proper eye-opener, with the defender embracing the cultural and linguistic challenges that come with the territory.
Despite some tidy individual performances, he’s quick to emphasize that personal glory means naff all compared to team success:
- Cultural and linguistic adaptation going well
- Individual form secondary to collective results
- Fully committed to the Elche project
Second half ambitions
With the season’s halfway point in the rear-view mirror, Petrot isn’t having any of this ‘rest on your laurels’ business. He acknowledges Elche have done their fair share of good things so far, but reckons there’s plenty more in the tank.
The defender highlighted that improving their away form is a particular priority, with results on the road not quite matching their home performances at the Martínez Valero. There are small details to fix, but the ambition is crystal clear – push on and rack up more victories in the second half of the campaign.