Pablo Machín: Europe would be like finding the woman of our dreams

Pablo Machín has put Girona on the map. Full of dreams and hungry for new challenges, the coach will look for a historic win at Camp Nou this weekend. Before the game, he spoke to SPORT in an exclusive interview. 

Where would Pablo Machin and Girona be now if you hadn't arrived four years ago and saved them from relegation to the third tier?

I now know that was the right decision. But if we hadn't stayed up, I came here for a personal challenge and even if we'd gone down I would have had the feeling that we'd changed things and that good players had arrived. For me, it would still have been positive. After, everything has multiplied by two, three, four... 

Promotion to La Liga is the biggest feat achieved? 

What's had the most repercussions is the promotion. And more for how it came about, after various near-misses. But there's no second step without the first, and the first was staying up that season in unknown circumstances and without any time. We managed to go from last to two places above relegation. That was the most difficult. 

Is the objective this season to stay up? 

Staying up would be to find a girlfriend and getting into Europe would be to find the woman of our dreams. Maybe the princess would be the Europa League, but we know there aren't many princesses (laughs). What's clear is that we've reached this point by thinking big. But to make playing in Europe on obligation would not be fair, not for me, my players or the fans. 

In the summer you were critical with the fans, saying it seemed as if some were coming to the theatre. Do you still feel the same? 

As I know how much it costs to give the fans what we have been giving them, it annoys me a little that the players aren't recognised as they like to be, which is by being applauded and cheered on the pitch. We were fans that came to watch the television, not to help the team. Now that is changing. Against Leganes, for example, people stayed until the end of the game and applauded the players. And that makes the link between the fans and the team even stronger. 

The recent contract renewals of various players is the best indication that things are being done right? 

Without doubt. At the end of the day, both them with me and me with them had doubts about how we would perform in a division we had never been in. The players have shown that they are Primera Division footballers and the club have recognised that. 

Your contract is up in 2019. Are there talks to renew? 

That depends more on the club, but we are all relaxed. I am happy at Girona and I think that we -- both Girona and me -- still have room to grow. 

So the nothing is close to ending yet... 

When the season ends, we will see if I'm running on empty. I try to give my all every week and what's important is to have new incentives. And the club's looking for them in an ambitious manner. Sometimes, yes, I feel that what I am telling the players I have told them one thousand times, but when you see their faces and notice that the message is getting through, you feel proud and gives you strength to keep on working. 

Finally, the derby: would you take a point at Camp Nou? 

It's difficult for me to respond. Before a game, I would never sign anything that's now a win, but I have to recognise that a draw against Barça would be very good.