«He was always looking out for me and my family. “She helped us progress and she was also the person who yelled at me and demanded the most,” explains the Andalusian.
17 may 2024 . Updated at 11:03 p.m.
Pepe Pozas (Málaga, 1992) is one of the most authoritative voices of Obradoirismo. He earned it hard, on and off the court. For many years he helped consolidate this project in the Endesa League. The Andalusian point guard is the player who played the most games in the history of Obradoiro in the ACB. He wore the Compostela team’s shirt 202 times, ahead of Corbacho’s 164 matches. Pozas spent seven seasons at Obra. He arrived in 2014. He was captain and leader. He played 262 duels in the Spanish first league, retiring due to an injury at Betis. His beginnings in the top category were at Unicaja Málaga. In Obra, in addition to being the one who played the most, he has other spectacular records. He is the undisputed leader in assists (704, compared to Rafa Luz’s 345, second on the list), he is the player with the most recoveries, the second with the highest number of minutes (3,418, only behind Corbacho’s 3,607) and the fifth most valued in history of the Work.
—How did you experience the descent of Obradoiro?
—With sorrow, with great sadness. After so much time in the Endesa League, it is not pleasant to lose the category. It’s a shame that it happened with Moncho, Gonzalo and Víctor, after so much time leading the team. They are very strange sensations.
—Did you expect the relegation or did you imagine a reaction in the second round?
—The team had a very bad streak, with many consecutive defeats. I closely follow the competition, the state of form, the signings and more or less you get an idea of what can happen. Obra lost several games at the last minute when they seemed to have won them. Despite his situation in the table, of course you always have in mind the possibility of permanence being achieved.
—Do you say that because of your past experiences on the team?
—In the seven years that I was in Santiago I lived several similar experiences, of achieving permanence in the last round, in Sar and pending what another rival could do, as was the year that Gipuzkoa was relegated. In these situations sometimes it comes up heads and other times it comes up tails. Unfortunately, this time we had to lose.
Obradoirismo mourns the departure of Moncho Fernández
BALD NOSE
—Did you see the team better with the latest signings?
—The team had the different positions very well covered, with players who had their role well defined. In the end the results began to be good and better sensations were felt, but the reaction was too late.
—How do you assess the departure of Moncho Fernández after so many years on the Sar bench?
—After everything he did and the years he has been in office, Moncho Fernández earned the right to decide his future. I feel deeply saddened by his departure. It’s not fair that he has to say goodbye with a relegation, but this is sport and things sometimes happen like that. Now the outcome is very recent and everything looks terrible, but the future will bring good news for Obra and for Moncho. Things don’t always turn out the way we dream. It’s sad to end a relationship like this, but you have to look ahead.
«Moncho, until I die!!», by Koke Rama
NEAR RAMA
—How do you remember Moncho Fernández?
—He is a great guy and a great coach, but what I really like about him is that he is a very good person. He never has anything to hide and that is very valuable. He is a very demanding, hard-working, understanding and committed person and technician. All this makes him a special coach.
—How is Moncho Fernández’s treatment with the players?
—Perhaps I am not very objective in what I can say about him. The two of us began a coach-player relationship and ended with a relationship of good friends. I arrived as a boy from Malaga, who was starting to play away from home and Moncho was always looking out for me and my family. He helped us a lot to progress. It is also true that he was the one who yelled at me and demanded the most. From the first moment he wanted the best for me, and of course for the team.
«It is very difficult to get up to the ACB»
—Where do you think the future of Moncho Fernández may lie?
—At this time it is not easy to know where you will work next year, as it depends on many factors. But as a friend, I just want him to find a place where he is happy and where he can work comfortably and be happy. I would love that.
—And Obradoiro in the LEB Oro?
—This last LEB Oro was tremendous. At first everything indicated that teams like Burgos, Estudiantes, Betis and Fuenlabrada were going to be at the top fighting for promotion. However, the competition started and everything changed. Coruña, with a tighter budget, finished first and was promoted. Now we will see a dog-faced play off. It is very difficult to climb the ACB. There is a lot of quality and very good teams.
—You played for Clínicas Rincón the season in which Moncho Fernández and Obra were promoted to the ACB. What differences could there be between that competition and the one that awaits the team next year?
—The year Obradoiro was promoted there were great teams. There were Murcia, Burgos, Breogán… I couldn’t say if there is a higher level now than before. There may be a little more, but changing categories is always complicated, then and now. It takes a lot of work and being connected from minute one. You have to have a good script to qualify for promotion.
—Did you expect a defeat for Gran Canaria in the decisive match against Granada?
—I was watching the game and I did expect a reaction from Granada when they were losing by quite a few points. Maybe it was too fast, but it was clear that a lot was at stake. His salvation depended on that match. He was playing at home, in front of his fans, and his response in the second half was normal. Furthermore, Gran Canaria wanted to win the match to be fourth and avoid Real Madrid in the first round of the play off.
Filed in: Obradoiro Baloncesto Liga ACB Liga Endesa
2024-05-17 21:03:00
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