Adrián Embarba: "I'm willing to stay and be able to help UD Almería return to Primera"
The UD Almería co-captains and right-winger emphasises: 'We're going to try finish in the best way because this way we'll start the next season well'
'Of course I'm willing to stay and I hope I can help UD Almería return to the top tier,' stated UD Almería co-captain Adrián Embarba in a press conference after they learned they were relegated to Segunda División last weekend.
'I've already earned promotion as champions with Rayo Vallecano and Espanyol; I have a contract and I'm very comfortable in Almería, but you also have to talk to the Club and know what they think,' he said.
'It was a very hard blow to go down; It was a matter of time, but living it was very complicated, especially at home. You can imagine how the the squad felt after the game,' Embarba reflected on what happened after losing against Getafe CF last Saturday at the Power Horse Stadium.
With the team already in the Spanish second tier, there are still five matches ahead. When asked about it, he responded: 'They're going to be very difficult weeks, but we have to take out our pride and fight for the colours, for the Club, for the city, for the fans… Furthermore, as he added, 'we're going to try to finish in the best way because this way the next season will start well; It'll serve as inertia for the future.'
The UD Almería player made it clear that they're going to fight to the death because 'we aren't going to make it easy for anyone,' and he remembered 'hopefully all the teams compete like Espanyol did against us on the last Matchday of last season, that's what it means to be professionals.'
The next game will take place against Embarba's former team Rayo Vallecano. When talking about the meeting, he commented: 'We're going to play on a very complicated pitch, against a team that pushes a lot as they're tough opponents. If they win, they'll secure league survival. We expect a better Rayo, who will come out to pressure us, but we have to know how to compete, put pressure on them, be supportive at the back and in attack.”
Vallecas is his home and he wants Rayo Vallecano to stay up in the Primera Division, although he clarified that 'not against us.'
The 31-year-old player believes that the team must be 'strong mentally and professionally, taking into account that we defend a Club, a city and fans that are showing exemplary behaviour. We can only have words of gratitude. It's clear that we haven't met the expectations and we accept the criticism.'