Juanmi insists he is happy at Malaga and wants to stay at the club for many years to come, and discussed Isco’s status at Real Madrid.
The striker, interviewed by AS, is close friends with Madrid’s former Malaga playmaker, and was pivotal in Isco’s decision to go to La Rosaleda from Valencia.
“And what a success! Isco grew very quickly in Malaga,” Juanmi recalls.
“In the year-and-a-half he was here he showed the kind of player he is and we see today, where he has a place on a team like Real Madrid, which is very difficult.”
It was put to Juanmi that Malaga’s season has been a strange one, as they have often recorded better results against the higher-ranked Primera teams than those at the bottom.
“The lower teams close off against us. Against the bigger teams, we’ve had huge games,” he noted.
“We’ve shown throughout the season what we can do and we’re focused [on playing Real Madrid] and the seven finals remaining if we’re to play in Europe.
“Scoring at a place like Camp Nou has a great impact. When you score one goal, all goals are beautiful.
“From the start [Eduardo Berizzo] has put a lot of faith in the kids. Malaga has always had a large cantera.
“I have a contract until 2018. This is my home and I want to stay here for many years, to enjoy the people, the fans and this environment, the people who have helped me to be who I am this year.
“Atletico Madrid? In the end, there’s always rumours and speculation. I’m focused on the team.”
