Born in Málaga, booed by Málaga: Bryan Zaragoza scores and says "they never loved me"

By the Data Desk · Published 10 OCT 07:30

Bryan Zaragoza went past two defenders and scored after 13 minutes at La Rosaleda, in the city where he was born, and the stands turned on him. Málaga saved a 1-1 draw in stoppage time, Marca reported chants of “Bryan, muérete” (Bryan, die), and the Espanyol winger answered, according to AS: “Nunca me han querido” (they have never loved me).

• His solo goal put Espanyol ahead; Adrián Niño equalised in the 93rd minute with a first-time finish from Rafita's cross (EFE).
• Zaragoza says there was no message to the stands: “Llevo tiempo sin meter un gol, y si marco lo tengo que celebrar; no entiendo la rabia” (AS).
• Before Friday he had two league goals in 61 games since Bayern signed him: Bayern, Osasuna, Celta, Roma and Espanyol.

The goal was the best moment of the night: Zaragoza ran at Puga and Calero, went past both and finished low past Alfonso Herrero (EFE). It was only his second start for Espanyol. What the stands took personally was the celebration and a few spats with Málaga players, according to AS.

Afterwards he tried to explain. “No hubo ningún mensaje a la grada” (there was no message to the stands), he said. “Llevo tiempo sin meter un gol, y si marco lo tengo que celebrar; no entiendo la rabia” (I had gone a long time without a goal, and if I score I have to celebrate; I don't understand the anger).

The anger has a back story. In June, El Gol Digital reported that Málaga and Espanyol both wanted him on loan from Bayern for this season, with his salary the obstacle for both and Málaga's pull described as sentimental. In August he joined Espanyol on loan with an option to buy, and neither he nor Málaga has said in public why the move home did not happen.

The numbers explain why this goal mattered to him. Bayern agreed a reported €15m deal with Granada in December 2023, and since then he has been loaned to Osasuna, Celta, Roma and now Espanyol, with two league goals in 61 games before Friday. Espanyol, for their part, have not lost at La Rosaleda since 2011, AS noted.