Has the anger over Tenerife's goal that you claimed as a foul by Ramón Folch gone?
You have to forget what happened, the Tenerife game and think about Cartagena. Nothing can be done. The regulation says that it is dangerous game. Then there is the interpretation of the referee who is the one in charge. It is the criterion of a referee and the players cannot do much more.
How is life going in Malaga?
Good. I didn't have to adapt a lot because Malaga is very similar to Seville. I had to adapt to the teammates because the League had already started and there were three games going. I had difficult moments like everyone else. But right now I'm very good.
Have you encountered the competitive tension?
For a footballer the most important thing is to play. I always say it, training is what makes you ready to compete and perform at your best. Continuity makes each game that passes you gain more confidence and helps you perform better on the field.
Were you surprised by this Pellicer system of rotating the two goalkeepers a certain number of games?
I arrived on the fourth day. In the previous ones, the first was lost, but the other two were won and with a clean sheet. And Dani was doing well. This is something that the coach decides and we compete to the maximum in training so when we get the opportunity to be prepared.
Has the competition with Dani Barrio made the two best goalkeepers?
That there is competition in the goal helps the two goalkeepers because if one trains hard, the other has to train hard too so that the coach doubts who to put. Having two good goalkeepers raises the level of the goal.
What convinced you to come to Malaga?
Everyone knows that Málaga is a big club. In Second it is one of the largest, if not the most, by fans, city, stadium … for everything. I think you don't have to convince a player a lot to come to Malaga. The situation he had was known and that it was complicated by the issue of the sheikh. We come to help and return Malaga to where it should be. It didn't take much convincing to come here.
Javier Tebas has said that Malaga's situation is “almost good”.
I can't speak much about it. From what I have been told, very complicated years have passed due to the issue of ERE for players, the decline from First to Second, the salary limit and penalties imposed by LaLiga … they have had very hard times, but the administrator (José María Muñoz ) and Manolo Gaspar (the sports director) are doing things very well. And that is reflected in the field. The team competes and performs. We have to forget what happens in the offices because it is not our concern. We have to compete.
Juan Soriano started at Betis.
I was four years in his quarry. Then I signed for Sevilla. I agreed with Fabian, who is now at Naples.
It is peculiar to go from Betis to Sevilla.
When I signed for Sevilla, Betis had descended to Second and removed teams from the quarry. He was not having a good time. Besides, I always depended on a person or I had to go by bus (from Benacazón, where it is from) to go to Seville. Sevilla gave me facilities. There was a bus that came from Lepe and was picking up players from different towns. That was one of the things that most decided me to come. I was in school and, being 10 years old, I couldn't leave school to go to training. And that was one of the things that helped me make the decision.
Always a goalkeeper?
Always a goalkeeper. When I was little I played in the park with my friends and my cousins always played goalkeeper.
Given the shortage of chips, Manolo Gaspar told us that he did not rule out that at some specific moment one of the goalkeepers would have to act as a field player.
To play a whole game it is clear that we are not prepared. But help the team for 10 or 15 minutes and start hitting sticks, volleys or batons (laughs), well we do.
He met at Sevilla Atlético with Diego Martinez, today a successful Granada coach.
When he caught us, Sevilla Atlético was about to go down. He kept it and the following year we were promoted to Second. Not only that. We were very supportive after doing a season. The team competed in an incredible way. We got the most out of the players. He was always on top of us and we already knew that he was a great coach.
Sevilla is a discoverer of good goalkeepers. Sergio Rico, David Soria, Bono…
That says a lot about the work that is done from the quarry. Luckily all the goalkeepers who have passed through the quarry know what I am talking about. The quarry work is very good and luckily there is a lot of material to improve and the goalkeeping coaches are very good. Years go by and goalkeepers keep coming out.
And those of Málaga, Gonzalo, Dani, etc?
Good goalkeepers who give a lot in training and at any time, and more so now with the issue of Covid-19, they have to be prepared for when their opportunity comes. In Sevilla Sergio Rico and David Soria debuted due to the injuries of the starting goalkeepers. And this year it happened at Sevilla. Bono caught COVID and Thomas (Vaclik) was injured and the third goalkeeper (Javi Díaz) had to play Champions.
Who is your favorite goalkeeper?
I liked Iker Casillas when I was little when Spain won the European Championship and the World Cup. In Sevilla, the benchmark of the quarry is always Palop.
How did things go at Leganés?
In Leganés, very good. I had the opportunity to play eleven league games, unfortunately, due to an illness that Pichu Cuéllar took. It was the first time I had left Seville. I was very comfortable. It is a very family club and there was a very good group.
That's when the explosion of En Nesyri began.
In that winter market, Sevilla signed him. We are happy for him because it was a very important step in his career, a team that was at the top and in the Europa League. It hurt us because they took away our striker. You are in a moment of good confidence. He is still young. He is giving Sevilla a lot and if he continues like this he will give a lot of joys.
He made good friends with Recio.
With whom I most related was with Recio and Rubén, one from Malaga and another from Seville. I talk a lot with Recio and he watches all Málaga games. We saw a Malaga-Girona at his house.
We assume that he advised him well when he came to Malaga.
He didn't believe it at first (laughs). I wrote to him and said: “I'm going to your city, to Malaga.” And he said, “Man, I don't believe it.” When I took the picture of him at the stadium when I arrived to sign, he told me: “You're going to go to the best city in the world, you piece of a club. He was very happy.
The team is responding despite having the lowest salary cap in Segunda.
It is a very young team that took a long time to build due to the budget issue. A united wardrobe with a desire to improve and enthusiasm. Malaga is a showcase for all players. This does more than just have an all-star team. This is proven in the field. People don't see it, but we kill each other in training. Let's all go together and we want to improve. And this is what is being reflected in the field. Obviously we are not going to win every game, but I think people didn't expect Malaga to be like this. Much remains, but our goal is permanence. But hey … why not believe? Get to 50 points and from there, it will be seen.
Can you dream of something more than permanence?
That is always there and as the games go by, they believe more. But we in the dressing room, both coaching staff and players, are clear that our goal is 50 points. Many points remain at stake. What do you get in the absence of five days? Why not believe and dream?
Luis Muñoz is exploding as a scorer.
I have met him many times in the national team and I am very happy for him. He is from here and he is one of those who knows the most about what happens at Malaga and is helping with his goals to win games.
A shame Calero and Chavarría's injuries.
An injury to the crusader is the worst thing that can happen to a footballer. The worst thing for a footballer is not that he does not play or that he is angry but an injury. In this case the crusader that is six months. Pablo was giving us a lot and he was a reference for us. It screwed us up quite a bit. But we can't be thinking about that. Stefan has come to help us and we must support him as much as possible.
Stefan Scepovic can contribute.
Stefan speaks Spanish very well and comes from competing and training. It is a point in our favor because there are two months of competition left. He has come in shape and comes to help. He is very well integrated into the group and in training he kills himself and I think he will help us a lot.
What do you think of Sergio Pellicer's work?
He is a coach who has us all involved and works very well. He is clear about the objective of permanence and that is what he is focused on, game by game. He works the games very well. Unfortunately we have a very short squad and it is important to have the entire squad involved. The branch players also have to be prepared.
Does Malaga have any kind of purchase option on you?
I am yielded with no option to anything. And I have one year left on my contract at Sevilla. When the League is over, we'll see what happens.
What if they tell you to stay another year in Malaga?
I have it clear. I have a contract with Sevilla and I come to help Málaga in whatever way possible to achieve the objectives. Next year, we will see what happens.
These times of pandemic are very hard.
I hope this happens one day. Unfortunately I will not be able to see the audience here. I would like because, as the team is going, the stadium would have a great atmosphere and it would help us a lot because many people would come, the stadium would be full. Someday I would like to see the full Málaga stadium. This year is complicated because the first thing is the health of the people. Before football there is the life of the people who cannot put themselves at risk for a football match.
On the bad side, Málaga has been one of the teams least punished by COVID. Now David Lombán is in quarantine.
Everyone knows the measures that are taken. Malaga's protocols are the same as any citizen can have. We know that a contagion can harm the group. And with the squad so short, a positive would be a problem. Things are being done well and the virus has come to us late. That also says a lot about the commitment of the coaching staff and the squad to the club. And that we are all going to one.
This year eleven subsidiaries have played with Málaga.
All the kids who have entered contributed to the group. We are only 18 professional chips, plus eight or nine kids from the subsidiary who are like one more without having a number from 1 to 25. Nothing happens because we take them as if they were from the first team. He talks about how things are being done well in the quarry.
Is Monchi in contact with you?
Monchi has Julien Escudé (former player and current assistant to the sports director of Sevilla) who works for him with all the loans. And I talk to him every week. He is watching over us and every month or month and a half he comes to see us, in my case to Malaga to see how we evolve, if we are well or if we are missing something. It is pending that we are comfortable to be able to perform.
We take the opportunity to ask about Matos.
I coincided with him in youth and at Sevilla Atlético. We have a very good relationship and it is clear that it is going to increase. Last year he had a bad time in the Netherlands (he was at Twente) due to a serious injury in the crusader. I was playing. I am very happy for him because he is at a very good level.
How do you see the future of Málaga?
The worst, the worst is over. The sheikh issue and that has passed. Hopefully Malaga, one day return to where it deserves and the whole issue of what happened with the sheikh is resolved.