Jonathas: "We’re going to keep up the intensity against Real Madrid"

Jonathas de Jesus (Brazil, 1989) has become a cornerstone of the Elche CF team and is one of the revelations of the season. In his first campaign in the Liga BBVA, the Brazilian forward is his side’s leading scorer with 9 goals and is a fixture for coach Fran Escribá.

Ahead of the visit of Real Madrid to the Estadio Martínez Valero, Jonathas talked exclusively to LFP.es about the keys to a difficult encounter and the good form being enjoyed by his team, who have picked up two wins in a row to move out of the relegation zone.

"The situation we’re in at the moment means we’re confident. Playing against Real Madrid is always special, they’re a strong side and we’re going to keep up the intensity we’ve shown in recent games. The boss always prepares really well for these types of matches, such as against FC Barcelona, when we put in a good performance," he declared.

"Fran Escribá is a high-quality coach with a lot of experience. He always instils a lot of confidence in all the players"

 On Escribá, Jonathas was quick to praise the great job the manin the Elche dugout is doing: "He’s a high-quality coach with a lot of experience. He really knows what he’s doing. Last year he achieved the target of survival and he’s doing everything he can to do that again this term. He always instils a lot of confidence in all the players."

Besides the team’s improvement, Jonathas also moved to highlight the way he has been welcomed into the franjiverde fold. "I feel really comfortable and I’m very happy at the club and in the city," he noted. "I’m trying to really enjoy this period that I’m experiencing at Elche. It’s a source of pride to be one of the revelations in one of the best leagues in the world. I hope there are big things to come in the future and that I can carry on competing in La Liga because, as I said, I’m very happy here."

"It’s a dream to be able to play against the best players in the world, and that pushes me on to always want to win"

 "It’s a dream to be able to play against the best players in the world, and that pushes me on to always want to win. There are a lot of incredible players in La Liga but, if I had to choose, it would be Cristiano Ronaldo, Leo Messi and Neymar. They’re players with huge quality who can undo any team," he added.

Finally, Jonathas revealed his love of music and offered an insight into the rituals he follows pre-match: "I like listening to music before games. It’s a good way of focusing. You always need high spirits before taking to the pitch, while keeping your mind on the match at all times. I usually put on songs from Brazil and by Latin singers that I like."