Akieme: 'Vallecas stadium roars and the pressure there is extremely noticeable'
Former Rayo Vallecano player Akieme states 'Mestalla was a turning point as we showed that we can compete effectively anywhere'
UD Almería left-back Sergio Akieme has had a friendly chat with the media at the Power Horse Stadium press room to give his thoughts on the next game against his former side Rayo Vallecano: 'I was a Rayo youngster and I became a pro footballer there. That Akieme from the past is always there and life has been taking me to other places, where I've learned other things, but I'll never forget what happened there.'
The 25-year-old player knows the Vallecas Stadium perfectly and the difficulty of achieving positive results there: 'Vallecas is a stadium that roars and where they really like to play, although as hosts, they feel strongly supported because the pressure is extremely noticeable on the field.'
The left-back from Parla admitted 'the game at Mestalla helped us realise that we can compete against big clubs, and above all, what we always try to do, which is to get fully involved in the game. Akieme also stressed 'the enormous importance of keeping those good vibes on our next outing, which will be very tough because Rayo Vallecano have their fans' strong backing.'
Akieme also made the following assessment regarding the end of the first half of the season: 'I'd say that it's been a very good first half of the campaign, our objective is staying up and we completed the first stage sitting 11th, so we're quite happy with the results obtained. It’s a scenario we'd have taken at the start of the campaign.'
To end the press conference, taking advantage of the fact that today is the deadline day of the January transfer window, Sergio Akieme explained: 'This Club, which is constantly growing, helps us to build self-worth and that's also noticeable in the players' attitude. We feel great at UD Almería.'
