Pellegrini: “A win tomorrow would practically secure us a place in the Europa League”

Firstly, Manuel Pellegrini highlights Sunday’s tough rival: “I hope it’s a good derby for all the fans.  It’s an important ‘Clásico’, that’s full of tradition.  Both teams have everything to play for, and a win would practically secure us a place in the Europa League.  We’ll be fighting for these crucial three points from the very first minute.  Pellegrini – Unai?  Both coaches will be aiming to get the best out of their teams and try and impose a certain style of play depending on the characteristics of the players.  They will then do their hard work on the pitch.  Sevilla are a good team, and who are always in the fight for Champions League qualification every year.  It’s been an unusual year for them however, for various reasons, but I’ve got no doubt they’ll be determined to fulfil their objectives in their last four matches, which they’ve been working towards all season.  They’ve got some major players, and Sevilla are a very prestigious side.”
 
Following the recent defeats in away matches, Sunday’s game at La Rosaleda is crucial for the Málaga coach, to see the team return to winning ways in front of their fans: “Even though the boys have lost the last four away matches, the hardest to swallow was losing to Granada.  The team is now firmly focused on reaching our goals, although the League table is always very tight at this late stage of the competition.  However there are still points to play for that will secure us a place in the Europa League.  Every team is now feeling the pressure of home and away games, but our fans get behind us 100 per cent, whether we’re winning or losing.  We’ve always felt their unconditional support, and I’m sure it’ll be as strong as ever during the ‘Clásico’ against Sevilla, which is another big reason to clinch a victory here tomorrow.”
 
Pellegrini has put the defeat at the Santigo Bernabéu behind him, and is concentrating on the Blue and Whites’ objectives before the end of the season: “We’ve recovered from Wednesday’s crushing defeat against Madrid.  It’s always tough playing them, but practically impossible when you’re two men down.  However our job now is to achieve our goals, although it’s not the best way for a team to end the year.  No-one wants to leave Málaga, but unfortunately circumstances will inevitably lead to change.  Such a high degree of uncertainty is bound to affect the players and coaching team, but for the time being we’re all focused on doing our jobs and getting to Europe.  Having involvement with other squads doesn’t bother me or make me uncomfortable, it happens every year.  For now though we’re only focused on qualifying for Europe.”
 
The Chilean-born coach analyses Willy’s injury, and Kameni’s impressive performance: “We don’t know how long Willy will be out of action.  His sprained ligament is causing quite a few problems, but for the moment he’ll be out for a fortnight, then we’ll see if he’s able to play before the end of the season.  Kameni has been very much in Willy Caballero’s shadow all year, but he’s also had a fantastic career.  The team, coaches and all the fans have got a lot of faith in him as a keeper.”
 
Lastly, Manuel Pellegrini looks at the season as a whole: “We feel that the team has had a sensational year, and everyone has absolutely loved it.  We’d have liked to have finished higher up the League table, but as everyone knows, we were knocked out of the Champions League unfairly, and should have qualified to the semis.  Major teams like Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea didn’t get as far, or even qualify for the quarter finals or get past the group stage.  However for the majority of the season we’ve remained in Champions or Europa League positions.  From a sporting point of view, it’s been an amazing season for Málaga, the players have all been incredible during difficult times, and the fans’ support, as always, is second to none."