GIRONAE It was unthinkable that David López (Barcelona, 1989) thought two years ago that leaving Espanyol against his will hid one of the great positive surprises of his life: being part of the best squad in Girona’s history that defends the their place in the Champions League against a direct rival and can certify their presence in Europe next season if they add a point in the visit this Saturday against Atlético de Madrid (2 p.m., DAZN).
will you be able to play You didn’t finish against Betis.
— I have had problems with my quadriceps, after being out of action for two months due to the posterior tibial injury. I got through it, but I played quite a few intense matches and resented it. The most appropriate thing was to rest a little to be well now. With Betis it was simply cramping; there will be no inconvenience to travel to Cívitas.
We saw you make unusual mistakes, in the rival goals. Does it frustrate you much that happens?
— I give it a lot of normalcy. It’s not the first mistake I’ve made, and it certainly won’t be the last. As the last man, I take on the responsibility of playing from the back. And, if I lose balls by taking too many risks, I already know that there are many options for it to end in a goal, because the opponent is left alone in front of the goalkeeper. I am aware of what it entails and take the risk with pleasure. Out of the 500 balls I must have played, I’ve made a few mistakes. Doing it this way brings a lot to the team. And mistakes can be fixed, I don’t care. I know who to listen to and who not to listen to, and my back is pretty stiff.
You are the father of a six-year-old girl and a four-year-old boy. They don’t understand that you can have a bad day because of a bad game.
— This has happened to me once. Especially in injury season, when you’re outside the dressing room and you try to make time go faster, but it is what it is and you can’t do anything about it. Then I take refuge a lot in the family and spending time with them. Children are not aware of what is happening. When I get home they want their dad, not the footballer. And I’m looking for normality, tranquility and being able to isolate myself next to him.
After the grief of leaving Espanyol, do you consider that being part of this moment for Girona has been a gift?
— I take it as a prize. And, as such, also many players who have been around the world of football for many years and others who are at the club. I’m talking about Stuani, Juanpe, Juan Carlos, Borja. It is a reward for us, who have sacrificed for a long time and finally have a reward. For me, the whole thing is unexpected. But, when they made me leave Espanyol, I knew I still had years of football left.
What was going through your head?
— I was torn between going abroad to close my career and make money – of course – or compete in the elite. But I had no doubt that I could be useful and decided that I wanted to continue at a high level. Girona was not the first choice; honestly, I was about to close it with another club. But Quique Cárcel was presented to me when everything was very advanced, he proposed the project to me, I spoke with Míchel, I saw that it fit my characteristics and, considering the family, I launched myself. If someone had told me that I would live what I am living, I would have taken them for a fool. And I admit that the first month and a half here I thought it would be difficult for us, because we lacked staff. But as the team has gelled and played well, I felt we could do great things. Not for the Champions League, but now it’s our reality.
Is Girona the team you’ve been in that has played the best football?
— I’ve had two very good seasons, too. With Naples, with Sarri and Benítez; and with Espanyol, with Rubi, who entered the Europa League. But, on a general scale and for what we are achieving, this Girona surpasses them. We don’t just play good football; the strategy and match preparation is spectacular. We leave few things to chance.
On the way to 35 years, you can still learn.
– Very, very much. One of my missions was to provide experience and knowledge, but I have been lucky enough to coincide with Míchel, who I think is very good. In many talks I would have liked to have the notebook and the pen to write down and keep what he says. I’m having a blast, really. They are two very profitable years.
Almost 300 games in the elite, but you have never played in the Champions League.
— No, it’s true. I had a thorn in my side, because Athletic eliminated us from the preliminary round in Naples and, when I decided to leave, we qualified. I always wondered what would have happened if I had stayed there to play it. Now, at my age, I didn’t think about it, let alone Girona. It’s the competition that everyone imagines playing, because it’s the most attractive. I really want to compete next year.
It’s close
— We depend on us and we are capable of doing it. In fact, we have second place within reach, because Barça has to come to Montilivi. I swear I think we can win the remaining eight games. Taking Madrid is impossible, because it is the only one that has been better, but not the rest.
Have you come to think that you could win the League?
– Yeah yeah. I trusted it fully. If we hadn’t had the ups and downs in key matches, like at the Bernabéu or San Mamés, we would still be there. But we don’t have to waste time thinking about that. We can do great things, yet.
I would like to ask you, finally, about the issue of insults in stadiums. To have normalized that they can say any stupid thing to you, when it shouldn’t be like that.
— It’s a very serious and fucked up situation. That there are insults, racist, sexist and unpleasant, nowadays… And we have to put up with it. And not only in the field, but also on social networks, where anyone can say what they want while hiding their identity. We’ve gotten to the point where we don’t give it any importance, but it does. We are wrongly accepting something that isn’t right because if we don’t, we enter a spiral of helplessness that leads nowhere. But it should stop.
Com?
– I do not know. It is a matter of education, which, as society evolves, I hope will improve. It has nothing to do with what was happening ten years ago, but there is still a long way to go.
2024-04-13 06:45:21
#Interview #David #López #Girona #player
