Portillo: ‘All that matters is to go into the last 3 or 4 matches well placed’
The right-winger, who has already helped two sides to promotion, points out that moving up with UD Almería would be really special. He returns to La Rosaleda
Francisco Portillo gets back into his own backyard this Saturday. It was at La Rosaleda Stadium in Malaga where he took his first steps in the world of football…the countdown for a special meeting begins: ‘Of course, it's a very special game to me because I'm from Malaga and I grew up there. I'm deeply grateful to Malaga CF for having made me the footballer I am today. The last time I played there was for relegated Málaga CF and I remember it was a strange feeling for me….Celebrations? I’d never celebrate a goal there. That Club gave me the great opportunity to be who I am now and I just can’t thank them and the fans enough. I really want to enjoy the game because it’ll be an electric one with our travelling fans and because it’s actually a derby. I want everyone to enjoy it and needless to say, I want UD Almería to win in order to continue at the top of the table,’ he pointed out to UDA Radio.
January is a month to forget. It seems that triumphs are back and the 31-year-old player highlights the importance of the last fixture: ‘The victory against UD Ibiza was vital. We went into the game on the back of some weeks without positive results even though we merited better ones. It was essential to put an end to our winless streak for our peace of mind. Hopefully we'll be able to take off again with good results.’ The midfielder has carved out a career that makes him an authoritative voice: ‘This is a long-distance race. We’re in a good place despite the fact that the points advantage we had has gone with everything that happened in January. Our fate is in our own hands and I trust in my team to get promoted.’
‘Personally, from my experience, I’m sure that our rivals will lose games. However, we have to forget about positions in the table and focus squarely on doing things well in Malaga….Just that. It’ll be a tight promotion race until the very last Mathday. All that matters is to go into the last three or four matches well placed’ he explained on the Club's official radio.
Francisco Portillo is a collector of promotions but the Malaga-born footballer wants one more: ‘I’d be terribly excited. This promotion would be very special to me because of the difficulty it entails; I feel older and with a lot of responsibility within the squad and that’s what I want…helping my team-mates as much as I can.’