After putting together great performances in the Second Division, it is normal that Iñigo Orozko landed as a true star in a Barakaldo team that was then playing three categories below. Furthermore, the Gipuzkoan striker corroborated his status with a dozen goals that helped the factories achieve a historic promotion last season. All of this could have led to the people of Baracald calling his offensive reference a true ‘killer’, one of those with a goal between his eyebrows.
However, he himself points out that “I have never been a scoring forward. My case is not limited to scoring goals or not. “There are many more things that I give to the team.” Therefore, he claims not to feel any type of “anxiety” about not having made his debut in the scoring section this campaign. On the contrary, he is satisfied with his performance, which is really being more than notable for the team.
-He continues to balance his work as a teacher with football. For this same reason, I don’t know if you had any doubts about continuing at Barakaldo.
No not at all. Seeing how everything went last year, that the season was great, achieving a historic promotion, without defeats and squaring Barakaldo with my work schedule – they continue training in the afternoons -, I have not had any doubts. I have been very clear about it from the beginning. What’s more, I really wanted to stay here. Also, this year we trained a little earlier and it is better for me to have a bit more of a social life.
-In this category, some teams train in the mornings, therefore, it is the exclusive dedication of many of their players. Do you think this nuance makes big differences?
I don’t believe it. I have previous experience at Amorebieta, where we also trained in the afternoons because some of us worked, and it went wonderfully. I don’t think it’s an important factor. It is true that training in the mornings gives you a greater degree of professionalism to be able to dedicate the afternoons to the gym or other facets of the game to improve, but training in the afternoons also works. At least, in these categories. As you go up, it is noticeable. I think that in the First Federation we should give it that more professional touch. So, many of us would have to make a decision about what we would want to focus more on.
-Twelve players from last year continue and have been reinforced with ten new faces. What is your opinion of the template?
I think Joseba -Núñez- and Imanol -de la Sota- have made a very competitive team. We have all the positions doubled and there are two players per position that ensure a very good level. I think the coach has a complicated dilemma when it comes to playing in the eleven each day because the level in each position is similar. That is very good for the team because it makes you push harder and leads you to improve. Everything goes to the benefit of Barakaldo.
-Having already tested the level of the group a little, do you think they could be in the shortlist of candidates for promotion?
We’ll see. It still seems too early to predict whether we will be in that block that is going to fight for promotion. Obviously, we want to be there and that is Barakaldo’s goal. The squad is up to the task, it is competitive and we can do things well for it, but nothing can be guaranteed. It is always difficult to be at the top because the season can go in any way, there are many factors that influence it. I’m not looking at the classification yet, there will be time for that. The important thing is where you are in May.
-Despite the promotion, he is still among the prominent names of the team and even the group. Do you feel the responsibility of having to live up to that expectation?
No, I don’t have that overpressure of having to shine or do certain numbers. I basically focus on doing things well to help the team, which is the important thing. I know that I am a forward and there is always an expectation regarding goals, but I have never been a scoring forward. My case is not limited to scoring goals or not. There are many more things that I give to the team, so I don’t obsess. I focus on contributing to the team on and off the field.
-His numbers do not reflect his real performance in this league start, because he has not scored, but he is putting in good performances. How is he doing on the field?
I think the same. Being a striker and not having scored in the first five days could show a mystery, but I think that is not my case. The people who see me and know me, know what type of striker I am. I’m quiet. I feel good, I think I’m doing things well on the field. The goal will come, I’m not worried.
-Don’t you feel that need to score goals that many forwards have?
I still have a little pressure because every striker likes to score, but it doesn’t keep me up at night. I don’t have any anxiety about scoring. I won’t leave a game screwed if I haven’t scored because I will have contributed other good things. Yes, I am screwed if I have played a bad game or I think about it when I miss a clear chance, but to a certain extent. It’s all because I have never been a scorer, I contribute other things.
-Although many do consider him a ‘killer’ for coming from the Second Division and putting up very good numbers last season.
Maybe, but I don’t have that goal of scoring many goals. I hope I can score twenty, but I focus on doing well, trying to fulfill what the coach asks of me, what is good for the team and helping in every way I can.
-He has already played more than thirty games with Barakaldo and has yet to defeat this club. Can one even forget that feeling of losing?
It is true that the streak we have is historic. Going more than forty games without losing is incredible, but the coach is already in charge of giving us a hard time and putting our feet on the ground during the week. There is a lot of competitiveness in training, there are winners and losers in many of the exercises, so we keep it in mind. We compete to the death in training and sometimes you go home angry because they have danced you. Furthermore, we don’t talk much about the streak either and it doesn’t influence us much. We know that defeat will come and we face it normally.
2023-10-07 08:31:26
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