Jesus Vallejo (5-1-1997, Zaragoza) is happy in Albacete. The center back has found the right environment to rediscover himself and football. The tranquility, the closeness of the fans and the demands of daily work have exceeded their expectations.
What led you to sign for Albacete?
When I came to visit the facilities and the city it was summer and there was a very calm atmosphere. I felt good feelings, I really liked what I saw at the club, but experiencing it firsthand is making it better. Not only in the games, the day to day life is very good. I fit in very well and I noticed that from the first day. Thanks to the fact that I am personally very well, that is reflected professionally. On the field I am feeling very comfortable with my teammates. I try to pass on experiences from other clubs, but I am also learning a lot from them and the coaching staff.
Were you surprised by what happened with your signing?
Yes. I expected people to be surprised that a Madrid player signed for Albacete, but I was positively struck by how close the people were, the affection with which they received me at the presentation and on a daily basis on the street. Now we talk about Jesús de Albacete and not the one who came from Real Madrid, which seems like years have passed since I am so comfortable in the city.
What is a normal day like there?
It is a very quiet athlete’s life. I live with María, my wife, who is a nutritionist and is also closely linked to the issue of sports and health in sports. In the morning I go to the Sports City. It’s not just the training, we spend a lot of time in the gym, spending time with the physios, analyzing the rivals, which we usually do two days before the games, with a lot of video. We also usually eat together in the Ciudad Deportiva, and we socialize quite a bit. The afternoons are for watching football and recovering.
What do you expect from the game against Barça?
We face it with great enthusiasm, like when Madrid came. The fans are going to enjoy it a lot, and I hope they help us like they did against Madrid.
How important is it to have footballers like you who have already played games like this?
I try to contribute my grain of sand, but not only on match day, from the days before. Let me be seen connected in training. I try to set an example, not only through words, but through actions.
Do you have any special memories of a Classic?
The first game I played against Barça, which was in preseason. Furthermore, I was able to meet Messi on the field during a stretch of the second half, in Miami, there were also Neymar and Luis Suárez, players of extraordinary talent, and I have also played with Granada. I have always been very impressed by the talent that Barça players have, on a technical level it is impressive.
What caught your attention about Messi?
His innate talent to make a play, to read the football. With one control he left the rival and knew where to take the play. He saw things at tremendous speed and did so calmly.
Now number 10 is Lamine Yamal, how do you stop him?
He is unpredictable, because he is a very complete dribbling player, who can go left or right. Now I see him more powerful, before I saw him with more talent to associate, and now he has improved in those starts, in one on one, I see him as a very complete player, who is great for the national team.
And in the other band Rapinha…
The last memory I have of Raphinha is the Super Cup he played against Madrid, in the final, which was sensational. Last season he was already spectacular and this season he has reached that peak of form. He is very physical, of many efforts, who not only works in attack, but defensively tests his full-back by pressing and does not disconnect when he is without the ball.
Has Barça changed a lot with Flick?
It is surprising what he has instilled in the team, especially with that defensive line that is so advanced and giving Barça that counterattacking game in some situations. This year they have adjusted the theme of the line, they no longer risk as much and they control it better, and they still have the quality to partner. They have added that little bit of spark and counterattack with players like Lamine and Raphinha.
Why were you so excited after the victory against Madrid?
It was a mix of everything. I would have been very excited to play, but I couldn’t and I saw that my teammates did a fabulous job. It was as a thank you, I felt like I had competed too, because I was exhausted after the game. That emotion, because from the outside you also experience the games in a very intense way, when you don’t have control of the situation, and when the referee whistles, you explode.
What assessment do you make of your time in Madrid?
I would have liked to participate much more in the competitions, because I did feel involved in the day-to-day life, in dealing with my teammates, in training, in being available and prepared. When it was my turn to play I felt pretty good. Proud and happy because working in the shadows on a daily basis allowed me to be plugged in at times when I had to be, and which are not easy, because all athletes want to have continuity and that continuity is found in the competition. It caught me quite young, especially the first stage in which in training I was very impulsive, I had a lot of desire, a lot of energy and it could have saved me from some injury. It was crazy for me.
How important were the supporting cast to improve the performance of the stars?
When I arrived I looked at footballers like Nacho, Lucas Vázquez, Marco Asensio, who were not undisputed starters, but when they came out, whether from the eleven or from the bench, they contributed that extra to the team, and you said “damn, these players are the ones who are really making a difference.” These players contributed a tremendous amount of things to the team, so I said “I have to take the example of these players”, and that’s a bit of what I did the whole time I was there. in Madrid.
Who welcomed you best?
All. But Carvajal, Nacho… players that I already knew from the U21s like Marco Asensio, Dani Ceballos or Marcos Llorente, in their day too.
What caught your attention most about Cristiano?
The mentality he had, he took care of all the details. It’s not that he trained like an animal just for the sake of it, but he knew when to push, to regulate himself, when he had to do gym work, he was very disciplined and very methodical. He even gave me advice on some gym exercises that I have been able to sign up for and use in my career.
How for example?
He would come and correct some position, some posture and give me guidelines to do some exercise at home. He said things like “I don’t know if it will go well for you, but I’ll tell you what I do.” On a professional level and as a colleague, very good.
How important are studies for a footballer?
At the age of 20 you can have an injury that leaves you out of football, and it is about not only being trained to be a footballer because perhaps you need to take another path. Also, in football itself, it is good to be trained, I don’t know if at a degree level, but it is always good to control some languages, as much as you can. Football is over and you have to know what you want to do when it’s over, have other occupations and not let football take up all your space.
Are you clear about your future when you retire?
More than clear, I’m ruling it out. Being the first coach doesn’t attract my attention, although I do like the topic of training, of the youth team and I’m starting to see. I like the topic of sports psychology. I like helping people, that’s what I’m discovering, whether in one way or another.
Psychology is increasingly implemented in football…
Yes, and I see it as super important. On the one hand, a collective psychologist, who can be the coach himself, because there are many coaches who collectively manage the team very well. And then, it is important that each footballer, on a personal level, if they need it, go to health professionals to improve.
Which coach marked you the most?
It may have been Diego Martínez, from Granada. He was a coach who looked at the squad and said “how can these things be achieved with this squad”, and it was because we were going to the limit of our possibilities, and he brought out extraordinary performance from each player. That coach played the role of team psychologist.
