“I was a subscriber to Madrid until Mourinho, then I was removed because I didn’t understand the lack of lordship”

— His thing about sports is dedication

— If this is to be measured by operating rooms, accidents and injuries, yes. Living in the city, we were always cycling in the mountains. We maintained it over time and my little ones continued with it. I appreciate it very much.

—What is your best memory related to this activity?

—The leagues that some of us organized at lunchtime at school. We convinced the teachers to also form a team to play the final against the class champion. They said yes and it was very exciting.

— Do you know that this is where your political career began?

— In fact, when people ask me how I got started in politics, I answer at school. The policy is that in your environment, people can live better and have more opportunities. It’s also organizing a football league instead of sitting on a bench.

—Which athlete do you admire?

—As a child, for his intelligence and understanding of football, Raúl González. I also really appreciate a star like Messi. To him and to this whole environment with Xavi and Iniesta, world stars who have always kept a totally respectful tone. I like it.

— Is it more about going to the countryside or enjoying it with friends?

— Between friends, at one or the other’s house. I was a Real Madrid subscriber until Mourinho. I stayed there for a year, then I gave up. I didn’t understand the lack of lordship. Since I have had children it has been complicated, because of schedules.

—Tempered, consistent, educated to the point of stopping by Mourinho. Where are you from?

— Hey, hey… we are the product of our family and our school. If you think for a second before insulting or lying, what if my mother listens to me, what will she think? With that second of thought, many problems were solved.

— It would be nice if some footballers took this second. One of them, Vinicius.

— There is a contradictory feeling there. Solidarity with someone who suffers from racism and who, unlike machismo, with which I believe society has been able to move forward, with racism we have not advanced as much. But I don’t identify at all with people who engage in provocation. The person who, through his actions, inspires others to become better is a good person. But when someone, with what they do, what they generate in others, is the worst in them, it’s not good. And inciting violence brings out the worst in others.

— Getting there takes more than a second.

— It’s not easy. They are young. They don’t have to take on this responsibility, because they are footballers. But you must help them accomplish this task. I’m talking about environments, clubs and teams.

— What don’t you like about football?

—If you compare when I went to the Bernabéu when I was 10 years old and today, it has nothing to do, fortunately. We heard everything! It’s insulting, but we’ve made a lot of progress on this. In terms of equality, progress has also been made. Look at the women’s team. The children already have Aitana or Alexia as references. The progress has been brutal, but it is true that the economic question distorts certain things.

— Earn help. About: second Nations League in the ranking of footballers.

— Having a selection like this is gold and they set an excellent example. What women’s football generates, with the values ​​it transmits of solidarity and identification, and this helps society a lot. It’s a source of pride.

— Are we going a little too far in the requirements? Look what happened with Araujo.

-Yeah. Trying to identify athletes with supermen is a misconception and has a huge impact on mental health. What do we teach children, that they should be superheroes or heroines? This creates expectations that are not real. You need to take care of your mental health and understand that you can have a bad streak and you need to lend a helping hand. Lowering the pressure piston is very important. And people become more productive.



—As a Treasury coach, why do we talk so much about the levers of the culés and so little about the big balls of the merengues?

— These are social taboos and I don’t know why. There are things that happen in one way and others in another. Sport must also set an example in this area. This generates a large amount of money and should go back to the company. I haven’t covered these topics, but there will be everything. Tax engineering is a booming genre.

—Why does Real Madrid hire a coach with a project and not have the patience to develop it?

—This is the big difference with Cruyff’s Barça or with Guardiola’s. Imagine if Barcelona were with Guardiola like Real Madrid were with Xabi, now. They wouldn’t have made a sextet. Every project needs a solid foundation and a clear explanation of why you are doing something. If you are clear, you should keep the bet. Tell Atleti fifteen years ago that they were going to grow like they did with Simeone. This strength of knowing that the base is solid and that a project must be supported was missing at Real Madrid.

—How should relations with Barça be?

—Respectful and polite.

— And with Atleti?

-Equal.

—Well, in your club there are those who think the worse the better.

—I don’t see it that way. Competition makes you better. Are we talking about Nadal, Djokovic and Federer? How was this triangle? Respectful and polite and brought them to their best level.

—How calm Barça-Atleti must have seemed the other day.

—Atleti has been there for 15 years, at a very high level. In the end, they always end up competing and proving to be a team with a strong foundation, which gets results. And Barça with Flick is interesting, fun, they have recovered things from the past, character, verticality. And then there are very good people. Lamine, for Barça and for Spain, is a tremendous added value, who must be helped so that in addition to being a genius, he is an example. It’s an exciting year.

— It was he who said: “The Psoe is like Madrid: it reaches the final and it wins”. Can you think of another, more current comparison?

—Hey hey… now the moment is different and more complicated, obviously. For the PSOE and for Real Madrid, yes.

— So, for Madrid, still champion of the Champions League?

— That has only one answer. There is no way to answer no. At least it looks like he’s going to be Champions League champion, that’s true. It’s genetics. We saw the comebacks and without having the best team in the world. He has these genetics and competing with that is like competing with the elegance of Federer or the power of Nadal.