The former puppy Gorka Santamaría, vintage of ’95, was one of the architects of the last promotion of the subsidiary with Ziganda on the Ramón de Carranza bench, he later traveled through Cádiz de Segunda, Recreativo and Sporting B before his landing at CD Badajoz, where he is a local idol with 5 goals so far in his third season in the Extremaduran city. They call him ‘Golka Santamaría’ and ‘Buda’. This Sunday, the Punta de San Adrián returns to Lezama (12 noon), where he trained from fingerlings together with his twin brother Ander, now a central Portugalete. «I am very happy, I am first Basque and then from Extremadura», he comments in an interview for EL CORREO and reveals that he trained Paredes, Núñez, Cabo and an Artola with whom he identifies: «He is also quite heavy in squeezing and to dispute, in that he resembles me ».
– The defeat against Alcoyano (0-3) in their stadium has hurt in Badajoz. Downed in the Cup at the first exchange …
– It was a tough defeat, especially for the fans. We make the same mistakes we made games back. We did not live up to what the occasion required.
– You have settled in Badajoz and are an idol for the fans.
– Yes, in the end I am a hard worker, I leave my life in the field if necessary and I am now being lucky to see the goal easily. That makes the fans stay with me. He identifies with me in the way he defends the colors and the truth is that I am very grateful.
– They call him Golka Santamaría and Buda …
– Yes, they have already called me in different ways, ‘Golka Santamaría’ and this year they have been praised by the Buddha for the celebration. They put out a very funny poster at the beginning of the season with the position of the Buddha and they told me that if I scored, I would do it, I did it, and it kind of stayed … The five goals go to my daughter and my wife, the rest to the hobby.
– He has even said that he feels half-Basque, half-extreme …
– Half of my family is from here already, with what I feel at home. It is true that first I am Basque and then from Extremadura. I’m very happy.
– Now he combines football with his little daughter … a lot of trouble?
– Well, very well, the truth is that it makes it very easy for us. It is very good, it lets us sleep, it hardly cries, it has hit us the fat, it is very good and it does not give the can. I lead a normal life, your sleep alters a bit, but very well.
– Has your social life changed?
– It gives you a bit of stability outside of sports, now you make less plans away from home with your teammates. You learn to value priorities and main things.
– In the CD Badajoz it still stings that SD Amorebieta rose to Second and took them away from glory?
– It seems not that it is the Amorebieta, but that you could be there, that you made, perhaps, the only mistake of the season in the decisive match. The Amorebieta was very good, but we were very bad on the key day. That has consequences and it was the hardest possible.
– A very changed squad this season, has it been improved?
– Yes, due to the circumstances that have occurred, because several heavyweight players have risen in the category, but an attempt has been made to maintain the block and the essence of the squad that has led us to play two consecutive promotion playoffs. They have landed reinforcements of a high level forced by the jump of the category in this First RFFF compared to last year. I think the team is more versatile than previous years and better.
– Ninth with 21 points, but only two from the promotion playoff in a demanding 1 RFEF that closes Unionistas. Is promotion to Second the only objective?
– Despite the fact that we have had a bad streak of seven games without a win, from joining a very bad streak, we are still two points away from the playoff. We have deserved the three points in many of them, but due to our mistakes we have won them; we are calm.
– You have always said that you are not tall, or fast, or virtuous, but that you are effective and do not embellish yourself. Is it still the same with 5 goals this season in 14 games, did you score 6 last season and 10 the previous one?
– I’m in good numbers, I don’t want to stay here, I want to continue increasing that streak. I don’t think I have any quality that stands out, but I am effective, I do what the coach wants. Tactically and mentally I am quite fast and logical on the field, that works for me.
– How is Óscar Cano, your coach?
– He is a different coach, very close to the player, with a vision of a combinatorial game. He likes the touch very much, he believes that that way you will defend better and he gives you many tools to attack the opposing team.
– What has he told you about Bilbao Athletic?
– That it is a subsidiary that plays happily forward and then backwards, like all subsidiaries, because they want to risk too much or always play on the attack, they concede more than necessary.
– How about Gorka Pérez in Badajoz after arriving in the summer from UD Logroñés de Segunda?
– Well, he has played very well in the team. It is easy to integrate into this squad, we are very social and with a very big work mentality. Gorka comes with the DNA of Bilbao, with his physical conditions that are brutal, and coming from Second.
– Who should Bilbao Athletic fear from the Badajoz team?
– We have very versatile players: Concha is a superior category player, Sergio Benito is a very complete striker, Tahiro is a very strong forward, who runs into space, Jesús Clemente who has been sought after by superior category teams, Adri Cuevas on the inside , Isi Gómez, quarry for Rayo and Granada, Pardo, Núñez comes from Albacete and Limones with Mirandés, Dani Fernández from the best full-backs in the category … It is a very complete team.
– Is Aquino still in the galleys after scoring two goals?
– I do not add Aquino because he is injured in the meniscus and I don’t think he will appear until January, but his deadlines are going very well to return earlier.
– Meet and have contact with some of the Bilbao Athletic of having trained them in their coaching practices …
– Yes, I have trained Artola, Cabo, Núñez, Paredes in the practices in Lezama and in the coaching course with Imanol de la Sota, with whom I get along very well.
– Are you surprised that with these players that Nico Serrano or Prados cites the most, the rojiblanco subsidiary is in relegation places?
– It surprises me because I think they have the level to be higher in the classification, but I am sure that they will soon pull up. It is a matter of confidence, of linking several consecutive victories and of believing it a little. He has a great coach who works the team very well and I know he manages the dressing rooms very well.
– You have been missing forwards for months with the happy injuries of Urain and Tascón …
– Yes, they are different profiles of strikers, Urain is more of a benchmark and Tascón more of mobility. Artola, who is a bit of everything, mobile, with a good finish, also quite heavy in squeezing and fighting, in that he is similar to me.
– Is Artola the current Gorka Santamaría of Bilbao Athletic?
– Yes, it may be that Artola identifies with me. He is a very interesting player who, if he does not stay in the first team next season, in Second he will be accommodated in many clubs.
– Will it be special for Gorka to play on Sunday in Lezama or no longer after his steps in Cádiz, Recre or Sporting?
– For me, Lezama is always special, I consider it my home, everything I have achieved is thanks to Lezama. It is true that I did not have great opportunities despite doing good numbers, but I have a beautiful memory, of affection. I really want to see Lezama again, who has grown a lot and I hope I meet again with colleagues, doctors or physicists to give them a hug.
. How are your brothers Ander and Josu doing?
– Ander, very good, in Portu fighting, they have a good team and Josu is in Santurtzi after Solares and Indautxu.
. How do you see the future, the SmartBank League is your goal since the contract ends on June 30?
Yes, it is clear that on an individual level my goal is to reach Second, hopefully with Badajoz. I was there, although it was a short step, the wheel that they say that when you get to Second you don’t go out … it spit on me quickly. I trust that with work it will come. I see people over 30 years old like Enric Gallego, who reached the elite at that age and doing it very well, and I’m calm. My chance will come soon.
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