Sergio Pellicer was accompanied in his debut to the media by Manolo Gaspar, director of the Club's Sports Department. “The road has brought us together again as happened in the last situation, in which we were victorious. Hopefully luck will be on our side and our hard work will pay off,” he said.

“I'm back home. I grew up as a player and youth coach here. We’re at -4 and have to go out there together. We can’t smile because of the responsibility we have. We have a good team, and we may end up with a better one. We have to start from scratch, we have 18 matches remaining and we’re at -4, and should treat it as if it were a promotion. Above all we must focus on the players, who are the protagonists,” he started out by saying.

In relation to the previous coaches this season, “we have to make the most of the work done before. Both Pablo and Pepe always said this is a united group. The players are suffering, as we all are. But it’s not a cliché to say that the group is united. It's true. And I’ve found a responsible group. In this division you have to have an effective, practical style. We’re here to get the best performance,” he affirmed.

“Right now I have enormous strength and there’s no better club than Málaga to manage,” he stressed, making his style 'script' clear: “Very clear concepts of how to attack and how to defend, especially when it comes to transitions. We need to be a very cohesive team. I want to do what my eyes see with the help of my people. Make the best decisions, be smart and get it right. We can work on making the players better. Everyone can do much more. You have to find that 'click' to turn it around. In 18 matches, we have to be one of the best.”

Regarding the fans, “the strength from La Rosaleda has to be visible, but we are the ones who have to try to excite them. We know that we’re going to suffer, but we’ll live with it. We’ll do our best and make the best possible decisions from the heart. This is done with hard work, effort and making smarter decisions than the rival. I want my team, everyone's team, to be a brave team that knows what they’re playing,” he said.

Pellicer believes that the current situation “is a challenge for everyone. I have a very big responsibility. I want union, with the help of everyone. With dignity, sacrifice, hard work and maximum effort. There are 18 games remaining and we are going to fight, work hard and make intelligent decisions. We have to be effective and practical. There’s no time for excuses. We also must be very clear on the concepts,” he said.

“It will depend on what we do. If we are among the top six in terms of scoring, we’ll be close” to safety, Pellicer said about the sporting situation. “We need to find a balance. I remember the first year we were saved and Munir was the Zamora. A solid defensive team is very close to that. Believing in ourselves, knowing how to handle situations and with balance in all aspects,” said 'Pelli', who believes that “to get out of this position we have to accumulate victories. Now everything is life or death. We have to have stability and we can achieve it with hard work.”

Finally, Pellicer insisted on the importance of “making the best decisions and having luck on our side, as we believe in ourselves,” and putting the group above the individual.

“Everyone is important. It’s a serious mistake to individualise. I’ve found an open group. Now there are no egos, it’s just about getting out of this situation. We’re going to try, not just Pellicer, everyone, so that the players can perform. We need to get the maximum out of everyone,” he concluded.