Statements
(Situation surrounding the Club) “I don’t know how everyone’s feeling, but I’d imagine the same as the rest of us, uncertain of what will happen. Both you (journalists) and us know the same information, and it’s probably just a question of hours now until we’ll know what’s going on.”
“I really hope the situation is resolved soon, as it’s very difficult to work with all this uncertainty around us. I hope everything works out ok for everyone.”
“It’s now not a question of payments, it’s about the Club. The most important factor in all this is the Club, to keep working as hard as we can, focusing on the Champions play-off. At this point last year, we had new players and the team was complete. However now we’re in an uncomfortable position. It’s not great working in this environment, as it affects us mentally. We need to maintain our focus on the pre-season, with just 17 days left until the start of the League, and then the play-off. We’ll need to be patient and wait to find out what’s happening.”
“No-one has approached the players, or has given us any information about anything. We’re still waiting to find out what’s going on. Vicente Casado was the last person to speak to us, and there’s been no further news since. I don’t think it’s our place to get involved with that side of things; that’s for the directors to resolve. We as players need to concentrate on the remainder of the pre-season, and the 17 days left until the League starts.”
“With regards to protesting, refusing to train etc, the only losers by doing that would be us. We’ve only got 17 days left until the League begins, and the 22nd or 23rd is the Champions play-off, so missing a day of training would greatly affect us. The team is now very motivated and awaiting the first matches. We all want to work as hard as possible and perform well. In the locker room we’re all hoping everything turns out fine and we start the season full of positivity.”
(Players leaving?) “It’s not about whether a player wants to leave or not, it depends on the Club. We’re all relying on the Club, so when offers arise, they’re dealt with in the usual way. It’s important we don’t do anything, as it’ll only fan the flames.”
“Everyone is extremely focused on the pre-season. Our tour of Venezuela was a very positive one, despite our uncertainty about what was going on here. At the moment I’ve got two years left on my contract, and would really like to stay here. If an offer comes up and a player has to leave, then they’ll leave, and if it happens to be me, then so be it.”
(Project) “For the past few months, the Málaga project has been going very well. We achieved what we set out to do at the beginning of the year, and we qualified for the Champions League, for the first time in Club history. After all that success, we’re all a little bit disillusioned, wondering what’s happening. I’ll say it again; it’s vital that we work in a relaxed environment, keep a cool head, and wait to see what happens.”
(Cazorla) “It’d be a great loss to the team if Santi left. If he does go, it’s because he’s had a fantastic season, he deserves it. If he leaves, I wish him all the best for the future.”