“In 2015 I hope we reap the rewards of our hard work.” This is Miguel’s wish for the New Year. Speaking about what’s coming up in January, Miguel adds: “It’s going to be tough, we’ve got a lot of matches against rivals who will make things difficult for us. My first wish is we don’t suffer any injuries during what will be a hard-fought month, as the coach will need all players available and we need to ensure we’re prepared for whenever he calls upon us. I hope the fans continue to show us such amazing support and it’ll be a great year for all of us.”
League competition returns to La Rosaleda on Saturday 3rd January against UD Almería, kicking off at 10 p.m.: “We need to make our ground like a fortress, make the most of our home crowd who really want to see Málaga CF at its best, a strong, united team who works as hard as possible in every game. The match against UD Almería isn’t going to be easy, although our rivals are getting to know us more now and realise we can create a lot of problems for them. I hope it’s a great night for us all and we end the Christmas season well.”
Málaga CF will bid farewell to 2014 “in the best possible way”, achieving the best start to the League competition, with 30 points. The last Blue and Whites’ victory was in Elche: “We wanted to continue our winning streak and show that our success wasn’t just a one-off, but the result of a lot of hard work. Every one of us knew the match against Elche wouldn’t be straightforward as they are in a difficult position. A match before the Christmas holidays is often focused on a team’s performance, but we showed our professionalism. It was also our last match with Roque, a teammate who is a great professional and always valued the Club. It was a great day for us all.”
Miguel believes the key to success is working as a team: “We’re a large squad, but there are many competitions, important games, injuries…we’ve shown that a player who enters the line-up and has the opportunity to play makes the coach’s decision regarding the starting-11 a difficult one. There have been a lot of injuries and players who have changed positions and adapted very well, which I think is why we’ve been so successful. We’re all moving in the same direction and aware that by working as a team we can achieve big things. There is a great dynamic amongst us and an effective method of work, so we need to continue along this path.”
Miguel, who is always willing and supportive, represented Málaga in last night’s Champions for Life, along with Kameni: “I think we proved yesterday that the Ebola virus cannot defeat us. On a personal level, attending charity events like this, particularly representing Málaga CF, is a great honour, as well as raising funds for such an important cause. I hope there are more charity events like this in the future. Football in Spain provides a fantastic image for lots of people, especially children, and I will always bring a big smile and do my absolute best.”