Familiar with the background, José Ramón Fernández (Mexico City, 1973) his role as Real Oviedo advisor places him on the main stage. He’s not comfortable talking, he explains, after years working in the media from “the other side.” But he is one of the most qualified to speak of the Pachuca Group, of his method, of the character of Jesús Martínez. Fernández, like the owner of the group, is also seen to be in love with everything that surrounds Oviedo, the institution, he defends, to which Pachuca has dedicated more hours in recent months. He is the Group’s corporate vice president of media and, since the last meeting, he is also a director of Oviedo.
How do you rate your first weeks as a director?
–I was already aware of Oviedo before entering the council. Everyone in the group is. It makes things much easier to have an extraordinary leader like Martín (Peláez) there, because he knows the philosophy of Pachuca and is very prepared. From these first months I’ll stay with the people I’ve met, both from the club and those around Oviedo, people of great human quality.
Has it been difficult for you to adapt to Spanish football?
–The Pachuca model has a strong human factor. That makes it work in Mexico, Spain or Germany. We believe in what we do and that makes it easier.
–How do you monitor Oviedo?
–There is a decisive person: Jesús Martínez. Jesus is pure movement. I am not exaggerating if I say that he speaks about fifteen times a day with the heads of each club in the group. He is pending, very above. And that in each team there are people who are trained and trustworthy. The rest are here to support.
-Martínez seems to be in love with Oviedo…
–And that is how it is shown: passionate and hard-working. I always say that Jesus is the “software” of the company and the rest of us are the “hardware”, the tools.
How did you experience the derby?
–Here, in León (Mexico), with more people from the group. We suffer, we get nervous and we end up enjoying it. The atmosphere that was perceived was extraordinary. The game was typical of a derby: close, hard, with the result in mind… Oviedo knew how to compete.
– Was it continued in Mexico?
–The following day was the World Cup final and the media were watching Messi and Mbappè, but it did have an impact. It was a special derby in Mexico. In Spain, I think it was the most important football event, the World Cup aside, that weekend.
–They tried to bring the derby closer to different points in Asturias. What were they looking for?
–First of all, I would like to highlight the work of the communication team, with David de la Torre, Jaime Bulnes, Borja García, Hugo Álvarez and Javi Álvarez. They do an extraordinary job, as could be seen with those campaigns ahead of the derby. I also wanted to send a hug to Laura González Manjoya, who is on maternity leave. As for the initiatives, what we were looking for was to attract people who don’t usually go to the stadium. We believe that Oviedo, as the capital, could lead a reunification of the entire province around the Asturian derby. There are the Princesa Awards and the Descent of the Sella, and the derby must have the same recognition because it is the heritage of Asturias.
– Are you satisfied with the result?
-Completely. That the members could give up their seats to people from the towns that are furthest away from football seemed very inclusive to me. And then, the staging with the bagpipes, while the players came out, had a spectacular impact. We got the people from outside Asturias who saw it to think: “How beautiful this derby is! I have to go one day!”.
–Did the “Cielito Lindo” at the end surprise you?
-A lot of. It was very exciting. And it was because it is a spontaneous gesture, which arose almost by magic. It does not seem casual to me: it shows that the links between Asturias and Mexico are strong.
–Oviedism faces the Christmas break with optimism. You too?
-Of course. It gives me that the team has found a personality in a very tough League. And that it will continue to grow.
–What do you think of Álvaro Cervera from the communication point of view?
-That he has charisma. Sometimes it seems that charisma is reserved for the happiest people, who try to be nice, and it is not. You can be charismatic by being hardworking, serious, and organized. Cervera has that and attracts. The Prof is seen as a leader. People follow him.
-Where would you like the social project to affect in Oviedo?
–The social branch is deeply rooted in Mexico, I give it maximum importance. In Oviedo, the Foundation has been working very well for years. What we are looking for now is to increase the number of shares and hold them longer.
–The sports city.
–It would be the great legacy of Pachuca. In León, a spectacular facility was inaugurated a year ago, one of the most beautiful and intelligent sports cities in the world. When Jesus says “I’m going to do something”, he has no doubt that he does it. It will take more or less, but Oviedo is going to have a modern sports city.
–What do you ask of 2023?
-Health. I recently had a son, Luca, who is already a member of Oviedo, by the way, and I value the importance of health more than ever. As for the professional, what I would like is for the world to get to know Real Oviedo.
–How would you sell what Real Oviedo is to someone who doesn’t know it?
–This is an enviable club, I don’t know if people are aware of it. It has a beautiful history behind it, a wonderful, beautiful city, dedicated, fanatical fans… Most clubs in the world do not have even 10% of the wealth that Oviedo has. And it has thousands of ambassadors around the world, because Oviedo fans are very proud of it. This club has an identity and believe me it is not easy to achieve. 2012 was a precious moment, a door that was opened to foreign fans, but we have to go further. The world must know what Real Oviedo means.
