A very tough rival

“We know we are facing a very high-level opponent, a team that was built to have already earned promotion to the First Division without even having to go through the playoffs, a project of tremendous scale. To perform well, you have to accept reality, and the facts are there. They are taller, stronger, faster, and more resilient than we are. We have to acknowledge that and, from there, build our path toward getting through this tie and fulfilling the dream of so many people. They average nearly two goals per game, and they don’t even need to score to secure promotion to the First Division. They earned that advantage over the course of the season by finishing one point ahead of us. Now we’ll see how we can compete with them, because we have weapons to challenge them over the two legs, and that’s what we have to hold on to. The players’ talent is something special, and Málaga is showing tremendous strength; everything contributes and adds up. We are confident while accepting reality, we’re not going to hide it or pretend things are different.”

A tie with plenty of goals

“Our objective is to score goals, one more than the opponent, as míster Ben Barek says. We’re convinced there won’t be so few goals in this tie. There will be more than six goals across the two matches; we have to stay calm.  They hit hard and they do it often, but we’ve shown that we can hit back as well. Among the teams that avoided relegation, they are the next most-conceded side in the division, which gives us an opportunity to score. We’re going to prepare for this tie thoroughly. The balance could tip one way or the other because of very specific details, and those are the aspects we’ll have to manage carefully.”

Extremely demanding physically and mentally

“It’s three matches in seven days and these are very demanding playoff ties. We would have preferred to play them over seven days so the players could recover properly and so we could prepare in a more detailed way. It’s not an excuse, but thankfully we didn’t have to play yesterday, because 10 players wouldn’t have been able to take part. Even today, five or six still wouldn’t be available. We train tomorrow, there are two days left, and hopefully by the end of Saturday everyone will be fit and available. Having the full squad available for both matches could be a decisive factor.”

A team in continuous growth

“The team has grown both collectively and individually, and that was going to happen under any circumstances. Our players have an incredible amount of room for improvement. If they’re already capable of doing what they’re doing at such a young age, just imagine what they can achieve as they continue to develop. The most exciting thing is that this team still has enormous potential for growth. We have one of the youngest squads in the division. The progress we’ve made is closely linked to the unique characteristics of our team. If they stay together next season, they can continue improving even more. With every victory, the team gains confidence, and that confidence spreads to everyone around the players as well. That makes you stronger, because they truly live it and feel it. We’re all more confident than we were three months ago. We’ve been able to keep building and improving, and now it’s important to enjoy the moment.”

Competing without fear

“There are qualities in them that make them superior, and that’s how we’re going to approach this tie. Against that, we have to hold on to what has brought us this far: the players’ talent and the strength of the group. Be careful with favouritism, things have to be earned, built, and competed for at our very best level. We shouldn’t be thinking about whether they are beatable or unbeatable, we have to accept reality in order to compete at our highest level. They may win the tie, but we are not going to help them win it. We’re going to perform at our highest level and fight with tremendous determination, using what has brought us this far.”

Mental strength against stress and tension

“I said that the goal didn’t break us mentally. That mental strength helps you maintain a much higher level of concentration, which is not easy given what we’re playing for. They are good at finishing set pieces, so we have to avoid giving away fouls in our own half. It’s easy to say that, but with the tension and emotion involved, it comes down to whether you’re able to make the right decision. All those decisions depend on the mental level we showed the other day, being able not to break down mentally in the face of adversity. That was one of the key qualities I highlighted. I hope it remains a strength in this final, because it would give us the chance to reach the First Division. They are operating under a very high level of tension and stress, because they are also the first ones with that ambition. They have to maintain a very high level of focus and concentration, something that is not easy for such a young team like ours. As you go through playoff rounds, the tension increases. We have to maintain that mental growth in this tie, because we all have that dream in our heads. We have to live this match. We’re lucky to have our fans with us, enjoy it, because there isn’t much left.”

Andalucían football celebration

“Much has been said about Nico Melamed’s action and situations that occurred in the last match there. Whatever we have to say, we must say it on the pitch. Two Andalusian teams are going to play a final for a place in the First Division next season. It’s something very special, it should be a celebration of Andalucían football, with two fan bases united in spirit. We have to set an example of sportsmanship for the rest of Spain, because there will be a lot of attention on this. We must compete with fair play and respect. We should experience it as a celebration of Andalucían football, and next year there will be one more Andalucían team in the top flight.”