Excitement

“We’re approaching it with a lot of excitement. It’s been a beautiful week. We’re living it with great energy and enthusiasm. It’s been very emotional for everyone, and that makes everything special. You don’t often find yourself in a situation like the one we’re in now.”

Calmness

“There is a very important aspect, and we must keep it very much in mind. With calmness, we will make better decisions. We need to approach this with balance and think about what led us to this situation. Unity, that collective spirit of going together, must be embraced now more than ever. Calm, together, and with the team still above everything else. That’s the idea.”

Team

“To get here, important things had to be done beforehand. It’s very difficult to reach this match with a chance of promotion. There have been beautiful games, and also very difficult ones. The fans haven’t only seen matches where the team played well, but also ones where it knew how to suffer and be solid. And to become a very competitive team.”

Demand and pressure

“The end of the league was very demanding. Then came three matches in one week, with a very high mental and physical load. This week, thankfully, with a sense of calm and due to earlier squad management, if we had played yesterday everyone would have featured. And tomorrow everyone will play. That is important news.”

“Pressure is more of an individual matter. I think they (Almería) don’t really feel pressure, many of their players have played in the First Division and are built for that level. Given their squad quality, I don’t think they will feel pressure. They are the best home team, along with Racing, and now comes an even tougher challenge. For us, this is probably the hardest match of the season. We are very clear about what we need to do. The key is being able to execute it.”

UD Almería and Málaga CF

“As the home side, with their crowd behind them, they will try to settle the tie as quickly as possible. They won’t speculate, and that leads us to a more open, more complex match that will require us to be at a very high level. We’ve already been through tight situations and difficult games like against Eibar or Zaragoza, knowing we had to go out and win. Here we know once again that we must go out to win. We’re going to experience a situation we’ve faced every time we’ve played away from home. That gives you a lot of confidence, because we’ve lived through those tough contexts and seen different sides of the team to get through matches and handle what’s coming. It’s the most difficult game, but also the most beautiful and exciting of the year. I can’t guarantee that we’ll be in the First Division, but I can promise we won’t stop fighting and giving everything. It’s a unique and unforgettable moment, we’re not just waiting for what happens, we’re going to do everything in our power to make it happen.”

Process

“What a beautiful process this has been, and how much our boys have given to be here. Sacrifice, effort… They have put the ‘we’ before the ‘I’. The team always comes first. And when that happens, everything becomes more special. That aspect is very important, and they have been able to achieve it. Now everyone will be able to enjoy that sacrifice, and it is a reward for each one of them.”

Enjoying until the end

“We’re going to play match 46. I’ve told them I didn’t want any holidays, because we’re enjoying the matches, the competition, and the day-to-day work. It’s a shame there’s not much left. I wish it had lasted much longer. All that’s left is to give everything to finish it in the best possible way. What has been built here can be built again if they stay together longer. We know the season ends tomorrow, but the path of this club is very exciting.”

Flavour of Málaga

“This project has a Málaga flavour to it, and that makes it even more intense. I want to congratulate the people for their behaviour the other day, not just inside the stadium, but everyone involved in organising the event. The atmosphere was beautiful, there was a sense of brotherhood between the fans, and that’s the best part. Now it’s Almería’s turn, and we hope the organisation lives up to it so everything can unfold in the same way.”