Weligton kicks off the press conference by reliving Sunday’s win: “The fight for European qualification is so tight, with four teams all vying for the Champions League and also for the Europa League. Getafe are close to us in the table, so it was crucial that we won last Sunday, especially after our poor defeat against Valencia the week before. We really stepped up our attack last weekend, and the entire team was bursting with motivation.”
Regarding Málaga CF’s chances of reaching fourth place, the Brazilian-born player comments: “Real are having a very good season and are playing excellent football. There is a considerable points difference between us, but we’ve still got possibilities. Throughout the season we’ve been determined to qualify for the Champions League next year, but firstly we need to guarantee our place in the Europa League, and fight as hard as we can to get to the Champions.”
The Blue and Whites captain analyses the forthcoming derby against Granada CF (Saturday at 6 p.m.), as well as the performance of former Málaga players. Buonanotte and Recio: “At this stage of the competition, it’s always tough to play against teams that are fighting relegation. Granada have got some difficult matches left, and if they lose this weekend, they’ll be in a very tough position. This game will be like a final for them and we need to remember that and play an intelligent game. Looking at Buonanotte and Recio, they both want to play as much football as possible, and sometimes it’s difficult to get the chance to play in certain teams. I hope they’re both happy and get to play much more next season. I wish them both every success, and hope they avoid relegation.”
Weligton looks back on the season from a personal point of view: “I started to get into my usual rhythm of play during the pre-season, and things went very well for me. I’m extremely happy with how we’ve performed this year, and I hope we can end the season as well as we started. However I don’t think it’s been the best season of my career, when I arrived at Málaga CF in the Second Division, we also had an amazing year, probably our best.”
Lastly, the Blue and Whites’ defender talks about the Club: “The people responsible are working extremely hard and we all hope that everything gets resolved. We all trust in the Club and in Shatat. We’re determined to end the season in Champions League or Europa League positions.”