Levante have stunned La Liga this season - capitalising on a whirlwind start to put themselves in with a genuine hope of playing Champions League football for the first time.

Los Granotas ('The Frogs') currently lie in fifth place just two points away from fourth-placed local rivals Valencia, and manager Juan Ignacio Martinez is proud of the application his side has shown throughout a groundbreaking season.

Levante enjoyed an incredible start to the 2011-2012 campaign - winning seven and drawing two of their first nine games to top Spain's top flight for the first time in their history - and although they were quickly overhauled by the big two of Barcelona and Real Madrid, Levante stunned Jose Mourinho's Bernabeu giants 1-0 early in the season.

Martinez remains modest, telling Revista: "I have a style which has got me up to this moment; it's the most suitable because up until now it has given me success. The question is interesting in regards to the team I am currently managing.

"Tactics, for example, may enrich and be applicable when managing younger teams, for if you offer ideas they grasp and go with them.

Attitude

"We are a humble, simple team with regards to our development and behaviour in games. We are not inferior to anyone and above all in our behaviour.

"We try to extract the best of our qualities and that highlights the intelligence of our players. You offer ideas and they embody them."

When asked if he would prefer to manage a bigger club with greater financial resources from which to build a squad, Martinez was bullish about the key to Levante's success.

He said: "In many instances, money isn't necessary to make a good team. What is true is with a large amount of money, you could buy better developed players, one could buy three or four important players. However, I would stay with the majority of my squad.

"If my team, which at the moment is achieving success with its position in the league, had those four or 5 players added to it, we would compete in a manner that may not be on a par with Real Madrid or Barcelona but certainly with other teams of a high pedigree."

Achievement

Levante fans have enjoyed some stellar performances from their team at the Ciutat de Valencia this season - a 3-0 win over a starry Malaga squad and a 4-0 demolition of Sporting Gijon standing out - but Martinez is quick to mention the win over Real when quizzed as to his proudest game this term.

He said: "There are many. I remember telling my players: 'You've beaten Real Madrid, that is very difficult.' It was in the game that I saw something intangible and some level of conviction that came from the players."

On the prospect of Champions League football next season, the man known as 'Jim' added: "It doesn't scare me but I don't plan for it. I'm honest with myself as is the group - we know we have a lot more of the league to play for there are still many weeks left to go.

"We have gone through some great moments in the league and we have also gone through some tricky times with many setbacks. Sometimes, when victory is so close and escapes you, it can be because of things you aren't even aware of.

"In that moment, we overcame the bad patch and now we are just happy with the current position we are in. Truthfully we don't think about the Champions League at the moment.

"Levante fans have been very unfortunate throughout their sporting history, so they are enjoying this very much and it could be a dream come true. We don't want to take our eye off the ball though, like last year we were on 41 points and only a couple of points away from safety, so players started drinking champagne when in reality it took them six games to make up the two points... they nearly died!"