This summer he decided to embark on a new adventure. Eindhoven became his new home. Gio Carreras (Begur, 1989) left behind the seven years in the staff of Valencia – a team of which he was captain for four seasons – to go to the Dutch team. Now, in his Champions League debut, he will face Barça in the last 16 (4.30pm, Esport3). The team led by Lluís Cortés arrives as a clear favorite after the level shown in the last season in the continental competition and the good role played in the League, a tournament where it remains intractable. Although the match is in a double game, PSV de Carreras put Barça on the ropes.
How do you approach the match?
It’s a very special match, especially for me. I will be able to return to Catalonia and play against Barça, which is always one of those games you like to play. He is one of the teams a priori that is a candidate to win it… the truth is that when the news came out here people went crazy and everyone is eager for the time to come and compete. We know it will be very complicated because it is a great team and it is proving it in the League. We have nothing to lose, on the contrary, we have many things to gain. When the qualifier is over we will see what the result is and it will bring a lot of positive things to the team.
It will be the Champions League debut for both you and the team. What mood is there in the locker room?
It is an atmosphere of happiness and excitement. From a very young age I have always wanted to play in this competition and also if you do it against a team as big as Barça I think it makes even more sense for the enthusiasm with which you are going to train and for the time to come. I think for the team and for the club it is also something very special, as it is the first time we play the Champions. Most have never played this competition and it makes it even more special. The team is happy, eager for the time to come and enjoy it. We have to live the moment and enjoy it and move on, to see if we can get a good result.
Seeing that you had to face Barça, what did you think?
I initially wanted it to be another club, as I would like to go to another country and play against other teams, but when I saw the excitement with which people took it, my teammates, I thought: it’s one of the best teams in Europe and why not. We are aware that it will be a very complicated match and that it will demand a lot from us in both matches, but well, it is football and we know that anything can happen.
What are your strengths for the match?
We have players who are very strong on a physical level, we have a pretty good pressure, high and aggressive. It’s very difficult for Barça to take the ball. Watching their matches, we have seen that other teams are waiting for them in their field. I can’t tell you our approach yet, but I’m sure there are moments of everything: when we will go to the pressure, when we will be pressured as well and we will have to be tilting … Surely our plan will be interesting and I hope that Barça feel a little uncomfortable.
The tie is a double game. Does this further reduce the chances of surprise?
When he’s at a game you can be lucky that the opponent has a day when he’s not very successful. In two games it gets more complicated. It is very important the first game we have at home to get the result that leaves us with options to go to Barcelona. Who knows, maybe we will come up with a very tight result. We know that Barça is a team that likes to have the ball, that has a lot of patience and doesn’t get nervous if it doesn’t score a goal, so we also have to play with that. We need to be calm and with the opportunities we have, which may be few, we know we need to be effective. It’s about relying on the fact that the plan will turn out well.
You are physically touched. Is it ruled out that you can play?
I won’t get to Wednesday’s game. Either way I’ll be with the team, I’ll watch the game even if it’s time to be in the stands, and see if I’m lucky on the return leg and I can be there from the grass.
At what point is women’s football in the Netherlands in relation to Spain?
There are clubs that do have an internal protocol where the players have minimum wages and very good conditions and other clubs where the players continue to train at the end of the day and do not have minimum wages. I think if I had to compare it, I would put it five or six years behind Spain, but every year steps are being taken, as is being done in Spain.
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