Irureta blasts stay-at-home Deportivo fans

Deportivo La Coruna coach Javier Irureta has hit out at what he perceives as a lack of commitment from Deportivo supporters and players alike ahead of the Champions League qualifier with Shelbourne.

Irureta is furious that only eight supporters will travel to Dublin to follow his team, while he has also blasted club captain Fran Gonzalez who has been left out of the squad for the first leg at Lansdowne Road.

“It is a physical, not a mental problem, he still has problems with his knee,” said the Deportivo coach.

But the fact that the local-born veteran was willing to pursue a claim for wages with the Spanish Football League – a case which could have seen Deportivo relegated for non-payment – implies there is not a good atmosphere at the club.

Irureta, who has asked the fans for more commitment to the Deportivo cause, has been annoyed that only eight fans will be cheering on the team in Ireland.

“Sometimes it seems as if we have got accustomed to living too well,” he said. “The people have to live the club a bit more. I want them to see the reality of football, which is to go to the games, travel with the club and then give them your support.

“Sometimes it seems we are like my local team, we live in the past and a lot of things here upset me, such as the fact that we are travelling to Dublin with only eight fans.”

Irureta then warned that Shelbourne would not be as easy as many expected them to be. “They are a dangerous side, but not because they are unknown.

“I am sure of one thing and that is that there are no small teams and nobody wins by decree,” said Irureta, who is also concerned that Shelbourne have already played 21 league games this season while his side have yet to play a competitive game.

“The fact that Shelbourne have played so many games evens things up in my estimation,” he said. “It is very much a 50-50 game.”

Apart from Fran, Deportivo will be without striker Diego Tristan, who is still recovering from a leg injury and defender Nourredine Naybet, who has been linked with Tottenham.

Those absences and the lack of new arrivals means the Deportivo side against Shelbourne will have a familiar look about it with veteran Mauro Silva in central midfield and Albert Luque and Walter Pandiani in attack.