André Horta: ‘We must be the ones who want promotion the most’

UD Almería midfielder André Horta underlined the importance of mentality and ambition in the race for promotion to the top tier of Spanish football during an interview on UDA Radio, insisting that desire can be the decisive factor in a highly competitive league.

‘On the day of my official presentation, I said something that’s not just a platitude: we must really want it,’ Horta explained. ‘We know there will be games where things don’t go our way and others where they do, but as long as we show that we really want something, we’ll be rewarded for it. We want to earn promotion and we must really want that goal.’

The Portuguese midfielder recently returned to action after a difficult spell marked by setbacks that disrupted his continuity. ‘I had a muscle injury that sidelined me for 7 weeks, something that had never happened to me in my entire footballing career. Just when I was about to come back around Christmas, I got sick with a very high fever. Now I feel great,’ he said.

Assessing the team’s current situation, the 27-year-old player highlighted the importance of consistency in a tightly contested promotion race. ‘If we put together a good run, I’m sure we won’t drop out of the top spots. Our rivals have also lost a lot of games. Among the 6 teams at the top, no one wins all the time; there are always teams that slip up. What we have to do is avoid losing and take advantage of that parity,’ he noted.

Looking ahead to the next challenge at Ipurúa, the Lusitanian admitted he has already been doing his homework on SD Eibar. ‘I’ve asked some former team-mates who played there; even Mendilibar was their head coach. I know they play at a high tempo and that their crowd is very supportive, but we’re ready to give it our all and go for the win.’

Finally, the experienced midfielder made a striking observation about the daily standards within the squad. ‘What I’ve noticed from the beginning is that training sessions are sacred here. Everyone gives everything. In my entire footballing career, I’ve never seen such concentration in a team’s daily work. It’s such a competitive league, with so many small details, that training has to be like this. Staying focused is key,’ Horta concluded.