Blue and White manager, Sergio Pellicer held a press conference ahead of #MálagaRealOviedo, the first match he’ll head up at La Rosaleda during his second stage at the Club.

He started out by referring to the importance of tomorrow's match at 21:00: “From now on, everyone is going to be very important, and it takes time with games that are like finals. We approach this match with maximum demand and responsibility. Oviedo, since they changed coaches, are a very recognisable and difficult team, they’re going to try to play to our nerves, make the game long and rough. They make the difficult seem easy due to their defensive commitment and set piece strategy.” He added that the team is “very excited” and “we have to be smart.” Concluding the first response, he called to the Malaguistas to go to La Rosaleda: “We are in our stadium and we need to connect with our fans. We’re prepared for this battle.”

He went on to talk about the work that Manolo Gaspar did for the Club: “Three years ago he was the ideal connection for what someone with a master's degree in sports management has to be with the coach, in one of the most dramatic situations we have ever experienced. We were saved because we worked as a team. He's a Malaguista, he has our full support, and the squad is committed to him. A Malaguista has left, not one from outside, we are people of the house.”

In the team's current situation, he said that “we have to be one of the six best teams to save the situation. We’re ready for it, but we need everyone's support. Whatever happens tomorrow, we must resist and persist. I’ve found a very united group, we are aware of the situation. We’re where we are because we haven’t got the points, and we’re third from bottom. From humility and reality, we’ll grow.”

“In this league of five we are one of the teams that can accumulate a series of positive results, which we’re capable of doing,” he said.

Sergio Pellicer highlighted the importance of establishing a union with the fans: “We have a commitment to our people, we can’t ask them for anything. We need the Supporters’ Stand and all the fans, they are the heart of La Rosaleda. They are a hidden force that we have to make visible. We have to believe in ourselves and insist until the last moment. We have to be the professionals who connect with the people.”

He went on to talk about the team's intentions: “We promise hard work, dedication, commitment and fight. We’re going to fight, I have confidence and I believe in the squad.”

Along the same lines, he added: “This squad and the Club have all the arguments to fight, resist and we are going to give our all. We have come out of very difficult situations. We saw steps forward being made in Gijón, we have to follow that path and we need to search for the best.”

Lastly, the Malaguista coach was asked about his return to La Rosaleda: “It's a dream to return to La Rosaleda, I grew up here and my previous experience with the fans was very short. There was a great connection until the last matches, and we need our people. It’s a new stage, a reset, we’re starting from scratch, we have to connect with them and win the games, which is what we’ll be trying to do.”