The Gas were beaten 2-1 by Exeter, making it a sixth straight defeat, and were booed off by their own fans after falling into the bottom four on goal difference.

Calderon spoke to the media an hour after the final whistle following a long post-match conversation with the players in the changing room.

Iñigo Calderón speaks to BRTV after today’s result. pic.twitter.com/Nf6XxCL9BZ

— Bristol Rovers (@Official_BRFC) April 12, 2025

“I think everybody realises now, I don’t know if they knew before, but it’s quite obvious now at this moment we are a League Two team, a League Two club,”

“It was good to have this chat to say everything to the face of everyone, to be a man in front of everyone, because we have to be strong enough to want to go out from this situation.

“It’s not about shouting, I’m not this kind of guy that shouts at people. I don’t think it helps first because it’s too late because the job has to be done before.

“But we have to realise where we are and the fact that we are defending a football club and a lot of people that are behind this football club and we are letting them down.

“It’s important to say things to each other’s faces, take it on the chest, and I’m the first one to take it on the chest if I have to be told something.

Calderon said the day was the “most difficult” during his tenure at the club and that it had to be a “turning point”.

They now get set for trip to Wrexham on Good Friday before hosting Stevenage on Easter Monday, and then Reading, before the final game of the season away to Blackpool.

“I think we prepared the week well, I think we did everything right in the training ground even before the game in the dressing room I had a great feeling about the players,” Calderon said.

“We have to show that we want to stay in the division or not.”

💬 “It’s a fantastic result, as this is never an easy place to come.”

Gary Caldwell reacts to his birthday win at Bristol Rovers ⬇️#ECFC #SemperFidelis pic.twitter.com/pjEb1QZyEU

— Exeter City FC (@OfficialECFC) April 12, 2025

“It’s a fantastic result, as this is never an easy place to come which you could see before the game as it was all or nothing for them. In the first half we were clinical and when we played, we hurt them.”

“Our two goals were sensational, in terms of what we had worked on in the week. Caleb’s was a good finish, Reece Cole’s was an outstanding finish, and I wanted us to play more as I thought we could have more moments like that in the second half.

“We could have scored the third with so many counter attacks where our quality and decision making has to be better. If the game goes 3-0 it’s finished, but we knew what was coming when it went 2-1.

“Since January, this team has been incredible at seeing out games.”

: Gotta be honest burton deserve to stay up we can’t beat teams away or at home at the minute. Burton have showed one thing and that is some passion and rovers havent and that is why we are going down.

: Decent appointment that short trousered, child sock wearing fraud. I owe Matt Taylor an apology.

: I don’t think there’s a Rovers fan that can disagree – we are finally in the league position that we fully deserve.

: We went 7 games without a goal last season and chose not to sack the manager when it was clear he was not up to the job. This time we have lost 6 games on the bounce and screwed a 9 point gap between us and the drop. HE HAS TO GO!

: Horrendous. End the season now and do us all a favour, league two tour it is

: A team with nothing to play for wanted it 10x more than us today. That’s why we’re going down unfortunately

: Burton staying up Ole ole

: It has been a tough League tbf, but we’ve never looked like putting in any sort of run, and it’s hardly going to start now.

: Get them all gone. Had enough is this season on and off the pitch

: A fish rots from the head. I don’t think the owners or the directors have made a single good decision since being at the club. Remove them all with immediate effect. SACK THE BOARD.

: New owners need to go and take Calderon with them n the way out.

: So furious that the club has thrown away League 1 status. How could we not get a proper striker in Jan when Omochere was out? Why keep playing this awful forward line. 3 goals in 6 games? How could Brown and Reindorf possibly be worse? 6 defeats in a row is unacceptable.

: Ah, the football karma gods are alive and well 👀

: The owners are a disgrace. This has been on the cards since last season.

: Bloke is so out of his depth. Fair play everything Barton said is right. Utg ⛽

: I feel for this guy. Let’s be fair, he’s inherited a pathetic set of players but, I did question his appointment. In the situation we were in, we needed someone proven that was up for a dog fight and sadly, he’s not it. For that, the owners have to take full accountability.

: He was thrown into an impossible job really. The squad wasn’t good enough and we lost several key players through long term injury. If he’s prepared to stay I would keep him on for next season and let him prepare properly.

@LP15393: Completely the wrong appointment for the position we were in. I do feel sorry for him as he’s been chucked in at the deep end with no experience but when you lose 6 games on the trot with no fight at all you deserve to go down. I’d walk away if I was him. Get these owners gone to