Bordalás: "I feel cheated" after Getafe's 5-2 loss to Lugano in the Conference League

José Bordalás did not hide his frustration after Getafe's heavy defeat in Switzerland. The team fell 5-2 to Lugano in the Conference League, and the coach took the post-match press conference to fire a direct shot at the club's sporting planning. The Alicante-born manager said he feels cheated by unfulfilled promises regarding the squad and made it clear that the current resources are not enough to fight on three fronts this season.

• Bordalás says he has been cheated because squad-planning promises have not been fulfilled.
• Getafe conceded five goals against Lugano and the coach called the performance unacceptable.
• He claims he has been warning since May about the difficulty of playing every three days.
• He compared the Swiss side's level to that of a Spanish Segunda División team.
• Bordalás said he can no longer rotate his regular starters due to a lack of alternatives.

Unfulfilled promises in Getafe's squad planning

Bordalás left no room for doubt in his message. The Getafe boss stated that what he had been promised did not translate into the necessary signings, creating a situation he sees as unfair to the dressing room and the fans. He noted that this kind of gap between promises and reality has become a recurring theme season after season.

His words pointed directly at a sporting structure that, in his view, has not matched the demands of a club in Spain's top flight. The impression he gave was of a manager who had identified the problem before the campaign began and now sees his fears confirmed on the pitch.

The defensive frailty that sank Getafe in Lugano

Bordalás held nothing back when analysing how his team performed in Switzerland. He highlighted the defensive fragility, the serious mistakes that allowed Lugano to turn the match around in just six minutes. As he described it, the opposition were creating chances too easily, with simple balls in behind and marking that never got set. He insisted the scoreline could have been even worse.

We cannot concede five goals and act as if nothing happened. We made very serious mistakes and the image we showed tonight cannot be allowed in any way.

The coach also explained the substitutions he made during the game. He had decided to rest several players who have been racking up minutes, but the evidence of how poor the performance was forced him to change plans and try to stop the bleeding. His conclusion was clear: there is not enough depth to rotate without the team falling apart.

A warning he says he made back in May

Bordalás rejected the idea that his criticism is opportunistic. He explained that back in May, before the new season started, he had already warned that playing every three days would be a huge challenge for such a thin squad. Now, after the hammering in the Conference League, he believes it has been proven that there are not enough resources to handle three competitions.

His message was especially sharp when discussing the level of the opponent. The Getafe coach compared Lugano to a Spanish second-division side and made it clear that conceding five goals against a team of that profile is unacceptable for a top-flight club.

What comes next for Getafe: San Mamés with no rest

With the defeat in Switzerland still fresh, Bordalás is already looking ahead to the next league fixture. Getafe travel to San Mamés to face Athletic Club, a side the coach considers a step above Lugano in quality. The demands will be high and there will be no room to manage minutes.

The manager admitted he will have to take risks with his regular starters because there are no real alternatives. That means exposing his key players to a heavier workload and a greater injury risk. But his verdict was blunt: there is simply no other squad available to be competitive.

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