Gonzalo Melero: 'All the teams play against us with extra motivation'
The central midfielder told UDA Radio that rivals see UD Almería as favourites for promotion. 'Sunday's game is important because of the situation in the table and because of the strength of the opponents,' he says. The player will experience a special meeting at the Ciudad de Valencia Stadium
UD Almería central midfielder Gonzalo Melero will experience a very special match in Valencia, since it will be the first time he visits his former home for three seasons in which he has completed the best years of his footballing career. He spoke about it in an interview on UDA Radio: 'I spent three years there where I was very happy, I felt very comfortable. I think that, on a sporting level, in the Primera Division, I've had the best stage. I was delighted in the city. I want to go back, to see people I know and for whom I'm very fond of. I'm sure that this will bring back some memories.'
The 30-year-old footballer will never forget his departure from the Granota team and acknowledged: 'It was all very fast. In fact, I couldn't even say goodbye to my team-mates until two months later because of the birth of my son. There are times when things happen like this, but I'm looking forward to returning to the Ciudad de Valencia and seeing friends I have there.'
Melero mentioned the importance of the match for two main reasons: 'Especially because of our situation on the table. Also because of the quality of the rivals we're going to face, who are in great form.'
The Madrid-born player shared his thoughts on Levante UD: 'A bit of that step from the Primera to the Segunda has been remade. The base is a little different and I guess it has young players who are growing a lot. Players with a lot of experience have also arrived, such as the return of Morales and Iborra, and we must also highlight their head coach, whom I also know from my time at Real Madrid CF.'
The Valencian outfit suffered their first defeat on the last Matchday against Real Zaragoza. On that note, Melero assured: 'If the defeat affects them, they'll have extra motivation to try to get a victory against us in front of their fans. I think all the teams see us as one of the contenders for promotion and they give that extra push when they play against us.'
Given the possibility that on the last Matchday's match against SD Eibar was a turning point due to the image that the team gave, he reflected: 'Coming back from two goals down against opponents who work as well defensively as they do, is commendable. The change will come when we're able to be a little more effective when shooting at goal. It's true that we also have to improve our defensive display and not score goals so easily. But it's also true that we're creating so many scoring opportunities. Both the midfielders and those up front have to demand a little more from us to materialise chances. 'I think this is the turning point we're looking for.'