NAYBET: "THE PEOPLE OF MOROCCO ARE WITH THE VICTIMS"

Central defender Nourredine Naybet is playing his eighth season at
the club and has become one of the most charismatic players of Deportivo
. The matches against AC Milan will also for him be the most important
ones he has ever played in Europe. And he's optimistic about the outcome.
But Naybet also commented on the tragic attacks in Madrid on March 11 and
declared that his people are with the victims.


Q: How do you feel after 11 March?

A: I want to make clear that the people of Morocco are with the victims
and we feel solidarity with them. It's a terrible thing that innocent
people have died.

Q: What kind of gesture will you make?

A: Sport makes people happy. After such a tragic event one needs some joy
to forget about it and football can make this happen. Terrorism is the
same here as in Iraq or New York. We must be prepared and not let happen
again that innocent people die.


Q: Back to the normal business: John Toshack will return to Riazor this
Saturday...

A: He's a great coach and thanks to him I am playing in the Liga. I am
thankful to him because he bought me in 1996.


Q: What about Deportivo in the past weeks?

A: The thing is that losing points, leaking goals etc. is about series of
matches. We cannot say that we have given up hope. It's simple to say
things like this, but on the pitch one cannot always win by just having a
good attitude. In football it's all about working hard.


Q: But by working hard opponents aren't denied scoring goals...

A: The work has its influence. Normally I refer to the way we leak goals.
It's the same thing if we talk about the referees that they cannot make
the same mistakes again.


Q: What about your colleague Pablo Amo?

A: I really like his way of playing. Because I am a player, and even more
because we share a position, I can judge him. And I think he has all to
become a success.


Q: But he does not get minutes...

A: That's a decision of the coach. But for me Pablo Amo is the future, and
together with Cesar and Jorge Andrade they form the basis for future success.
Pablo Amo has a lot of technique, and that's not usual for a defender. He
resembles me a lot.


Q: Is the Liga lost?

A: Deportivo are playing every year to win a title and we should continue
with this mentality.

Q: What about winning the Champions League?

A: I don't know... who knows?


Q: What is your balance of the season so far?

A: There has been only one negative punt: the Copa exit. Overall it has
been a good season.


Q: Is the defence guilty for the recent bad results?

A: The defence of Deportivo always has been very strong and thanks to it
we have won many titles. But let's remind ourselves that not only the
defenders are responsible for leaking goals.


Q: What should change?

A: It's clear that our match in Turin is the way to follow. Besides
working hard we have to motivate each other and to talk.


Q: What kind of Depor will we see against Milan?

A: The team that has showed that it can play well against Italian teams.


Q: Do Milan have weaknesses?

A: They are very strong, also in their domestic competition. But I think
their style suits us. They don't are a typical Italian team, and that
could be the key. They permit the opponent to play, and that could benefit
us.