The ‘Malagueño’ talks about yesterday’s victory against Genk in Málaga’s first 2013/14 pre-season match: “We all felt good; it was the first game and a win was important as we continue with our pre-season training. I think we played well last night, we dominated possession, which is what we were focusing on, and we came away with a win,” affirms Portillo. “It’s still early days, and the League competition hasn’t started yet, but we’re all very positive and hope to have a great season.”
Coach Bernd Schuster selected Portillo as second striker in last night’s starting-11: “I felt comfortable in that position, which I’m used to and really enjoy. Since I’ve been here it’s the first time I’ve played upfront, although it’s not a new position for me,” states Portillo.
With regards to the new signings, such as Tissone and Anderson, Portillo adds: “They’ll bring a lot to the team and we hope they’ll adapt to our style quickly.” He also stresses the importance of the four ‘Malagueño’ players that formed part of the starting-11 in this first pre-season game: “It’s vital that there are Málaga players on the team, we’ve got a fantastic reserve team with some quality players, which they demonstrated last night.”
Portillo also had a few words for the fans: “Our supporters have always been amazing, during the good and bad times, and we’re all extremely grateful to them.”
