20/01/2011

Pre - Derby round up.

Thursday Morning ticket sales for the Derby in the Heliodoro started. There was high demand. Hundreds of people waited for the office to open. The Popular stand behind the goal sold out within a couple of hours. There were 3000 tickets available and they are expected to sell out before Sunday. There were 1,150 packs sold between the three and four game ones.

Fuentealta, a company who are committed sponsors of CD Tenerife will be adding a little colour to the Derby. As a high interest game they will hand out more than 18,000 blue and white flags amongst the fans who are at the game to help increase the atmosphere at the game.

Dani Kome knows how it is to live the Canarian Derby. Two years ago he lived the triumphs against Las Palmas and as such knows the importance of these games. The Cameroon national player was in the press room on Wednesday. “We know there will be many fans in the stadium this Sundays game, there always are for a Derby. I hope history will repeat itself” the forward started. “It is a great opportunity for us. A triumph against Las Palmas, at home with our fans will serve to gain confidence”.
About the change of position on the field Dani explained that “I feel very well and hope to play this game, which is so special for the whole island. I am happy playing in the centre. If that is where the coach wanted me then great”.
“We are going to give everything and gift nothing this game. If we win the fans will have more confidence in us too and this will give the players wings. On Sunday we will play all out for the three points, so everyone can go home happy. A derby is like a final and we will play one hundred percent. There are no favourites, but I only think about going out to win” he concluded
For his part Pablo Sicilia knows how to live through a Derby. The player who is from Gran Canaria has experienced Derby's before, “It is very special. If you are Canarian probably more so. To play one, and more than that win one  is a great objective. With the possibility of winning the three points I wouldn't care who scores. There is no better gift we could give the fans than a win against Las Palmas”.
“I feel privileged. It is a dream to play in a classic game like this. It is awesome. Who ever is in the Heliodoro, will enjoy a very emotional day”, he added.
“The derby's are always remembered. The chance to be there is lovely. Bad runs don't exist when you meet your greatest rival. We are all ready to give the maximum for every minute of the game”, he finished.


Mikel Alonso also know what a CD Tenerife-UD Las Palmas game feels like. The blue and white midfielder understands the importance of Sunday's game and expressed himself this way. “The derbys are the games you feel the most. With maximum emotion. It is football at its maximum. We want to make our fans happy. I know that is a giant step. We need to tighten our game and do this for the fans. The are always there for us. We want to make this a great game. It is a Canarian football party. The players are trying their best”, said the Basque.
Mikel, who on Thursday trained part of the session on one side due to injury hopes not to miss the game: “I hope I will recover quickly to be able to join the squad as soon as possible. We need to wait and see. Then if need be I can force it. If I can I hope to play ”.
Thursday the squad trained in the Heliodoro. It was the first session there this week. They trained for and hour and 20 minutes. Cristian, Josmar Zambrano, Moreno, Bruno y Germán, were all there to train with the first team.
Tomorrow, Friday the squad will be again in the Mundalito from 10 am. Juan Carlos Mandía, the CDT trainer will have a press conference after the session.
12 players in the present squad have taken part in a Canarian Derby:Marc Bertrán, Ricardo, Pablo Sicilia, Nino, Antonio Hidalgo, Sergio Aragoneses, Iriome, Kome, Juanlu Hens, Ezequiel Luna, Luis García y Mikel Alonso. Marc Bertran has played more than any other player. He has had the chance to take part in 6 Canarian classic games. The result of which is positive. He has played in three victories and three draws.
Of the Canarian players Ricardo León y Pablo Sicilia have played on 5 different occasions against Unión Deportiva.
Local player Iriome González managed on his first game against Las Palmas to score two goals against them. Nino has also managed two goals but in different games.
Dani Kome, Juanlu Hens, Ezequiel Luna, Luis García & Mikel Alonso have always seem wins when they played.
Saturday night there will be a dinner for the club representatives including presidents Miguel Concepción for Tenerife and Miguel Ángel Ramírez for Gran Canaria and they will dine in the Restaurant Los Limoneros, in Guamasa.

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