Barcelona receives Celta tonight (9:00 p.m. / DAZN) with the intention of maintaining the lead. The azulgranas base their potential on Lewandowski’s scoring power, with nine goals in the last six games. Unai Nuñez (Sestao, 1997), central defender of Celta, will try to prevent it.
-You left your comfort zone in Bilbao to have more prominence. Are you satisfied?
-Yes, I am very happy with the decision I made because in the end it was a moment when I needed to feel like a footballer again. Being back in the wheel of the team and it has been a success. I’m happy because I’m playing, I’m participating at a good level and the team is very good. I think we are going to have a good year.
-And it’s the way to return to the national team…
-Everyone wants to go to the national team but in the end what leads you to the national team is the daily work and that is the objective. Go game by game and take small steps to get good results here and that, personally, the call from the national team arrives. But first things first.
-Is it more difficult to go to the national team being in clubs like Celta?
-No. Each coach has his ideas and the likes of him. Luis Enrique has his idea of playing in a different way and thinks that some players are more suitable for his style of play. I don’t think it’s a problem in the team you’re on. All the teams in the Spanish League are of a high level and there are many players of great stature in all of them.
-Are you also surprised that Aspas is not in the selection?
-Luis Enrique has his ideas but Iago is making merits to go. He has to keep scoring goals, giving assists and that way he will have more chances. And if he does it he will also be better for us.
-Do you understand footballers who prefer to stay in a club that tells them they have no chance of playing?
-I am from Athletic to death, it is the club of my childhood and I would like to be there for many years but in the end the career of a footballer is very short and there are many who prefer to be in the comfort zone. Others prefer to go out and do what they really like, which is to play football, regardless of whether you belong to one team or another. What I like is to play. Every time I play I am happy and I like everything that surrounds it. Playing or not playing affects me personally.
-Being a professional has killed the romanticism of football, do you feel it differently?
I’ve seen it that way since I was little. I’m lucky enough to be able to make a living from it, but I’m passionate about it. I like to play football. When you play you have to show that you can do it but in Bilbao this possibility did not arise and the opportunity to come to Vigo did. It has been a very wise decision.
-A match against Barcelona or Madrid is a showcase for teams like Celta?
-It is clear that children and people who like football always dream of playing these games, of going out to the Camp Nou, the Bernabéu or San Mamés, in big stadiums. In the end it’s a good showcase but today all the games are complicated and all the LaLiga games are good for demonstrating and making yourself known.
– Do you know how you are going to stop Lewandowski?
-Everyone can be stopped. One way or another. It is more difficult than other players but we are going to work to be able to stop them, both me and the whole team. Our idea is to work as hard as possible to be able to return with the three points knowing that we played against Barça and at the Camp Nou.
-The numbers say that if Lewandowski doesn’t score, Barça won’t win…
-It’s nonsense. If Lewandowski doesn’t score, Ansu Fati, Ferran, Dembélé do so… or any of the midfielders. Barcelona has a very long and very good squad and you have to be careful with everyone. We are going to prepare to stop everyone. Here it is also said that we depend on Iago Aspas, this past week he couldn’t play and we won. Data is never entirely reliable.
-You who are central, who is better, Lewandowski, Benzema or Haaland?
-Phew. Everyone has their things. I have played against Benzema and I think he is an incredible footballer when it comes to making team plays, going down to receive, shooting, finishing… I have not played against Lewandowski but I have followed him and he is also a goalscorer that is in his blood . Haaland has just started but there the data is standing out above normal but the race is deep and it will be necessary to see if he reaches the level of Benzema and Lewandowski.
-Have you talked a lot with Mingueza about this game?
We don’t talk much about it. In the end I’m not going to ask him if Dembélé comes out on the right or on the left, because both he and I already know that he comes out on both sides. These are things that are known and we do not give much importance to this issue.
-Is it the best time to get your hands on Barça, who yesterday lost in Milan and after Celta they play against Inter and Madrid?
-It’s always a good time to get your hands on Barça. Winning Barça is very important for all teams. But well, when they come from winning you think it’s a bad time because they are confident and if they come from losing also because they are angry and want to turn the situation around… You can never choose the situation.
-You grew up in Lezama. In the Barça is the Farmhouse. Does Spanish football need to bet more on the quarries?
-I am very much in favor of the quarry and even more coming from where I come from. Players must come out of the quarry because otherwise football would not be the same. We have to keep insisting on it because there are kids who are very good and we have to give them opportunities. We must insist on the theme of the quarry. It’s good for the club and for the kids.
-After seven league games, what is Celta’s objective this year?
-Our goal is to be as high as possible knowing that there are very good teams at the top of the table. We stand up to the whole world and we go with that idea. We must bear in mind that we have had a difficult start to the season because we have been dealt very good teams but we know the situation to achieve a good position before the break. That will mark us if we want to be up or in the middle zone. Our goal is to go for all the games.
