“In prison I lost more than freedom. Also one of the loves of my life, Infanta Cristina”

AND Iñaki Urdangarin (57 years old) finally spoke. This Thursday, December 11, the big day arrived for the former Duke of Palma. It was broadcast first on La 2 Cat, the regional channel RTVE, l’espace Pla Sequencewith Iñaki as the main protagonist.

The former handball player broke his silence during his first appearance on television. He did it with his great friend Jordi Basté (60). In this kind of interview speak the most personal Inaki; the man, the person far from palace titles and his links with the Royal House.

This production, RTVE was told, was developed “without interruptions, without editing and without editing”. Inaki be honest like never beforeand his statements left no one indifferent. Iñaki begins the conversation by assuring that he is having a good time.

He maintains that his life takes place between Vitoria and Barcelona and that, therefore, Catalan is very integrated into his life. “Catalonia is still a place from my childhood. My children are Catalan“I came through Barça and my connection is very important.”

“Today is a key moment in my life for me, a different stage. I had an extraordinary life, of different events. “I want to bring out the Iñaki person.”

He says that the Urdangarin of today is a man at peace, who tried to start from scratch and He is full of enthusiasm for the projects he has in progress..

Note that the former duke was sentenced to five years and ten months in prison for prevarication, fraud, influence peddling and two crimes against the Treasury.

Admit today that he cried”plot“during the first three months of prison.”I don’t wish it on anyone“, he emphasizes.

“In prison, I lost much more than freedom. Also to one of the loves of my life, Infanta Cristina“, he says at one point in the conversation.

“It was a very hard period, we went through it – he and the Infanta – very bad during this whole periodand this had consequences. And it tastes bad, because she’s a woman I love very much,” Urdangarin said.

Regarding his children, Iñaki emphasizes that he is “grateful” and “proud” of them all, because they are an “example of resilience”. Speaking about his children, in the middle of the conversation, the former duke dares to call Pablo (24 years old), who is following in his father’s professional footsteps.

The young man intervenes in the program via video call and assures that he is the son of Iñaki Urdangarin It never weighed on him. On the contrary; He feels happy and sees his father as an example in the field of sport.

The moment where Iñaki speaks about his mother deserves a separate line, Clear (90), and of everything she suffered during this period when her son was deprived of his freedom: “She knows me, just like my children. They know that it is impossible for a father or son to have the will to commit a crime.“.

The former handball player reveals that his regrets lie in the way he accepted his sentence: “I’m not proud of the way I handled my situation emotionally.“, said.

“I went through a negative loop and worried people outside“, he admits at one point in the interview.

During the almost thousand days he spent in prison, in a women’s ward in Brief (Ávila), had to stay in shape as best he could, pedal primarily on a stationary bike.

He remembers with gratitude the human quality of the officials who assisted him and says that his experience was that of a “double punishment“, particularly hard during the pandemic, when Covid restrictions further reinforced confinement.

After serving his sentence and regaining his freedom, he said he felt “a new Iñaki” and admits that the return to life outside prison was complex.

He speaks of a process marked by “stigmatization“, although he affirms that over time the perception around him has softened and that today he notices that his presence in the street is now more experienced normal.

He continues to be honest: “People don’t know me very well, I’ve been discreet. In life, they put many filters on you“.

“I’m in a very creative phase, exciting, take a new rhythm, next to my children. I want to help others develop“, he decides, full of hope and looking to the future.

Prison classes

The Brieva Prison Center is, in general, an exclusive prison for women, but it has a small ward or module for men which had been disused for years before their arrival.

Urdangarin voluntarily chose this prison, among other reasons, for reasons of security and peace of mind.

“For my safety, had to be isolated. They had a module that was empty and they wanted me to stay there. There were a thousand nights inside“.

During these first three months of confinement, he noticed that he was “breaking” emotionally and, to get out of this situation, he asked to do “an emotional well-being course“.

He enrolled in a master’s degree in coaching psychology from UNED and he obtained the title of personal trainer, an apprenticeship which allowed him to “manage stress and sadness”.

The fact that he can train with a stationary bike and “read lots of books and letters“, both from his family and friends and from unknown people who “sympathized” with him.

He also found comfort in while writing; He wrote down in notebooks what came to mind.

He also remembers with Basté the day of judgment in detail: “I ate with Cristina in Geneva. I worked 16 years to overturn the charges. Until the last moment, we thought we could do it“.

Iñaki and resentment

One of the hardest parts is going to prison and being sentenced, Urdangarin says, it’s acceptance of the situation: “Accept where you are, accept the opportunity in front of you, and accept that you will be here for a long time.”

Iñaki says he honestly examined everything that landed him in prison.

Upon acceptance, resentment comes. “You have to understand that it doesn’t help you,” he says. “Resentment is a problem you need to work on in prison“, he adds. He specifies that he remained in the penitentiary center once the door closed.