Pepe Mel: "UD Almeria fans need to rest and talk about football with a smile"
The new UD Almería head coach showed the pride he felt in his players after this victory and his joy at putting an end to a winless streak that was on its way to being historic. In addition, he highlighted the good performance by Marcos Peña in his first-team debut: 'He has a bright future ahead if he continues like this'
UD Almería head coach Pepe Mel talked to the media after UD Almería's first victory this season. 'I told them that this is the right track of the nine remaining finals. It must get it done for the pride of the fans, footballers and the Club. For me, it's vital to win, but to see the satisfaction on the players' faces in the dressing room and see how they fought... We were facing a great team and we knew that we were going to suffer, we knew how to do it and keep a clean sheet. I'm very proud of my footballers,' he stated.
A striking fact about the new UD Almería gaffer is that every time he makes his debut in a new dugout, he wins, but this fact remains in the background for Pepe Mel, who recalled: 'UD Almería have put an end to a horrible streak that was on its way to being historical; The UD Almería fans need to rest for a week and talk about football with a smile and not bitterness and also the footballers need some peace of mind. When I arrived, the players didn't look confident… now everything has to change.'
One of the highlights in his first UD Almería starting XI has been Marcos Peña, the UD Almería youth player who was making his debut in the Primera Division with the Rojiblancos. 'I don't look at the ID card, I look at the way he does the things that I ask of him, that he does them well, he has a bright future ahead if he continues like this, he's made his debut in the top flight and with a victory.' This league meeting, for the UD Almería head coach, has been very special, since he spent four years coaching UD Las Palmas: 'It's been exciting to return to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, I love this island and the Canarians, I wish you the best,' he explained.
The Rojiblancos had not won for a long time and this was reflected in their state of mind. 'Winning is a relief for the footballers, I've asked them to have fun, to feel like the children they were playing in the street until late and their mothers had to go out to get them... you can't play football without having fun, Me Mel added.
To conclude his post-match press conference, the Madrid-born coach praised the UD Almería goalkeeper. 'Maximiano played a ten-man game, he gave us peace of mind, patience, he knew how to lead the game, I wanted them to hold on and not take the ball long and he has understood it well,' he concluded.