Saturday, November 9, 2024, 09:22
The Kingdom of León is a fearsome setting for all the teams that visit it in the First Federation. It is the house of the undisputed leader of the group. Cultural Leonesa leads the second-place team by seven points and is undefeated in the first eleven rounds of the league. However, Sestao River also brings back great memories. There they achieved salvation last year on the last day, with an exciting victory against what was the best local team in the group, which in turn, was at risk of entering the promotion play-off.
The only goal of the match is now part of the club’s history and will remain in the retinas of all Sestaota fans. Its author was Gorka Garai. That shot from outside the area was the only goal in more than two years for the midfielder, who will now return to that same field after having been out for a month and a half due to a shoulder injury. The second captain of the green and black chats with EL CORREO about how he is experiencing such a “special” week for him.
-As second captain, do you suffer a lot when the team is second to last?
-Yes, you suffer. You see that the team wants to, it trains every day to get results, it is professional in terms of the habits of taking care of itself, training and preparing for games, you see that it is really going and there is a real intention of wanting to win. However, you find yourself in a situation today that is not where we want to be. On that side, it does suffer. Even more so in my case, in recent days I have experienced it from the outside and you feel more helpless at not being able to help.
-What is missing or what is missing to try to get out of those relegation positions?
-I would tell you that the start was good in terms of sensations, not so much in results because there were several details that hindered us. Then, without wanting to make excuses, playing many games in a short time could have also hurt us. It is clear that each one has to raise the level they give on the weekends because we had a bad run of results. The good thing is that the team, away from home, appears solid, with clear ideas and we have to adapt as soon as possible to Las Llanas.
-They still haven’t won in Las Llanas. How is it possible?
-When the season begins, everyone’s idea is to become strong at home, to make Las Llanas our fortress and give us a competitive advantage over other teams that may have an advantage in terms of budget. It is a very special field, it is necessary to know it and know what it asks of you. In that sense, we have changed almost the entire team and we are in the process of adapting. I am sure that as soon as we are able to get the first victory in Las Llanas, we will be a very strong team at home.
-It is difficult to adapt to the field when you have not trained on it so far this season.
-Yeah. It is striking that we cannot train in Las Llanas due to the conditions it is in. It is a special field, different due to its dimensions, characteristics, the state of the grass…Not being able to train here on any day weighs us down. After all, many of our new teammates have played in Las Llanas the same times as rivals who visit us. It changes the way we hit, the step, the shots on the fields we train… It weighs us down a lot. I wish we could train one day a week in Las Llanas.
-How do you see from within the possibility of converting the club into a sports limited company?
-The players are not an authorized voice to choose the future of the club. The club belongs to the members and they have the power to decide what they feel and believe is best. Without a doubt, we are in the hands of members who are going to look out for the good of the club and leave their lives for it, so whatever comes out will be the best for us. Yes, it is true that we are in a category in which competing in sports requires very high demands on an economic level. On a day-to-day basis we see the president and the board of directors giving everything and even putting resources out of their own pockets for the club to move forward and everything seems like obstacles to being in this category that is so beautiful and problematic at the same time.
-He has missed the last five league games due to injury. Is it difficult for you to see the team from the outside?
-Yes, without a doubt. I have tried to help from another role as much as I could: be with them as much as possible, encourage them, talk to them about how I was watching the games… But it is a great helplessness not to be able to go down to Galindo to train with them, not even being on the bench to encourage or go out at any time to play. It gets hard.
-He is one of those who needs to be in the green.
-Yes, it is what life gives me. I really like to help from within, from whatever role it may be. So, being away seems long for me.
-You already have a medical discharge. Could I start on Sunday?
-Don’t know. It’s up to the coach. This is the first week that I have trained with the group, I feel good and we will see if, little by little, I am becoming the best version of myself and can help the team, whether from the bench, starting or from wherever.
-What does it mean for you to return to the Kingdom of León, where you scored the goal that meant salvation last year?
-It is a special week because I return from injury and we return to the Kingdom of León. These days I have been talking with my family, friends, teammates, watching the photos and videos of that day… Without a doubt it is one of the most special days of my sports career. We went there on the last day risking salvation, it was a very complicated field, they were playing for the play-off and everything indicated that it would be very complicated, but we got it and it was an immense joy after a year of much suffering. It was one of the best days of my life.
-Has it become a special field for you?
-Without a doubt, I will try to sit in the same place in the locker room and see if it happens again. What I am clear about is that we were able to achieve permanence due to the strength that the fans gave us throughout the year, who were with us through thick and thin. That gave us a lot of strength to not give up when things were worst.
“I do not sign the tie”
-The Cultural Leonesa is the undefeated leader. Do you see it possible to ring the bell?
-Yeah. I think the team is ready for this challenge. It is true that they have a great team, a very marked game identity with the continuity of the coach and many players, many offensive resources… But we also have our tools, we have prepared the game well during the week and this team can beat anyone .
-Do they consider it good to score there?
-I’m not signing it for you right now. We talked about that in the locker room, that we are going to win every game we play. Then, depending on how the match goes and the circumstances, sometimes the draw can be positive.
