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| Intervieiw (1) | ||||||
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Raul's interview at abc.es on 12-5-2004 translated by Nohemi |
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Raúl: "Our team is not big enough to
compete in three very competitive competitions"
For a man used to victory and who, according to those who know him well, has a voracious football ambition, losing three games in a row must be even harder. Raúl, with his captain armband and his responsibility feeling, has lived these past two months in absolute silence. He breaks it today for ABC. He has taken a few week to think before publicly analyze the reason why his team hasn't won anything, knowing his responsibilities as captain he stops in some subjects and doesn't go deep in others, but no one can't deny that he knows better than anyone what has gone wrong this season. He sits in a small room in the old Sports City, ironically the same day he has helped lay the foundation for the new one. He has hang up the team's official suit and he's dressed casually. Tight black t-shirt, jeans and in a hurry, that same hurry he's been identify with to reach what he's reached at his age. - Any horribly... - Yes, horrible. We haven't the objectives, which were to win all the titles we were competing for. We're empty handed, because the Supercup is a minor title. - You smile not to cry. -Yes, you're right, I'm pretty hurt. A lot. When the Asian tour started, we were all excited and in march, we were in a privilege situation: in the Cup's final, with eight points ahead in la Liga, with a good results in the Champions... and now we have nothing. Losing everything at the same time leaves a mark on you. We had everything at hand's reach. - Without pointing fingers at anyone, do you think the Asian tour was responsible for this end of the season? - No, truly, I don't. Believe m. We haven't lost everything because of the tour. We did a good job there aside of going there for the reasons we did, so that Real Madrid is better known in the world. You can tell it's not the tour's fault when we've given everything
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Exactly, and you've ran out of steam half way through...
- I think there are other important factors. - Go ahead, I'm all ears... - First of all, our team is not big enough to compete in three very competitive competitions. We needed, I think, three, four, five more players. There's too big of a difference between the minutes twelve players have played and the rest, and has had an influence at the end of the season. Then, Ronaldo's injury came at a decisive moment and he was our attacking reference. Then there are situations in some games. For example, the Cup's final hurt us a lot. If we would have won, our next rivals would have respected us more and we would have grown in confidence. From what moment, nothing was the same. We've lost more games than in the previous seven months. -For what I see, you think it's been more like Madrid has lost everything instead of the rivals winning. - Yes, I have that feeling, with all of my respect to all those who beat us, specially to Valencia in la Liga, because with their style and great work, they've been fair champions. They've been there when we've lost. We had everything in our hands and we threw it away. It's not normal that a team like Madrid loses the last three games at home. It's just a fact but with those nine points, we might not be having this conversation right now... In the King's Cup, we went ahead and we played against ten. Against Monaco, we had a 4-2 advantage, we scored first and we lost... We've lost everything go. - And the coach, what percentage of responsibility does he have? - He had looked for what was best for the team. At the beginning of the season he told us that to win a competition like la Liga and to face such an intense season we couldn't it with only 11 players. It's more, he said that titles are won by the player number 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17... He has tried to give us breaks, but he also wanted a competitive team. But to face eight months of competition, we need a deeper bench.
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- Okay, so Queiroz told you something, but did something
else. - You have to take in consideration that it's hard to change players like Zidane, Ronaldo, Figo, Roberto Carlos... It's hard to rest them, they're the best players in the world. He could think they were tired or not, but he also thought that in one moment they could turn a game around. You just couldn't give all the responsibility to the young ones. They've tried and they've done what they could when they've played. I have no doubt Queiroz, just like us, has tried the best, but it didn't work out. Now, it's important we finish second and then we'll have time to think. We are already analyzing what we've done but we aren't the ones to make the decisions. - We're talking about the worst season since you reached the first team. - No, I don't think it's the worst... In my second season, 95-96, we didn't win anything either. Next to that one, this is the worst title-wise, but this has been different because the fans have filled the Bernabeu every game and they've enjoyed many games. - Because you were winning, because you've only played three or four good games. Casillas was always the best. - It's possible we lacked regularity. At first we can control the games with ease, but only 10 or 15 good minutes. We've lacked continuity and equilibrium, that's why we've suffered so much. - Tactical balance? - We've received too many goals and we should have scored more. We haven't known how to take advantage of our situation in some games. I still don't understand how things like Monaco happen to us, where we had everything in our hands, but after they scored two goals, the team broke apart, and at the end they beat us. ¡@ |
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- Do you know that from outside,
in the last games, the team was giving the impression of being
absolutely impotent? The attitude was perfect, it was better than the
opponents, but you lost...
- That's what has hurt us the most. We were better against Barçelona and Deportivo, we gave everything and lost. We can't analyze that now, what explanation do you give to that. The players think that as well. We've played bad at times, but we won. This is football, and you have to accept it even if you don't understand it. - Let's talk about you... - I don't talk about me (he smiles)... - You've suffered through your worst season... - You think that? - I do and most do... - I've had a few injuries and I've played with pain in some games, that didn't prevent me from playing, but I wasn't 100% either. - Why didn't you stop? At the end, you end up being the one who loses. - Because stopping didn't guarantee I would get well either. The pain didn't disappear with a rest. I haven't played injured either. Both the coach and me thought I could bring something to the team no matter my situation. -Aside from the "public" injuries, you've dragged one since September in your foot that only doctors, the coach and a few friends knew. After everything you've heard, don't you regret having thought more about the team than yourself? - Not at all, the team has always been more important to me. It was just pain, some days it hurt more, some days it hurt less, but I've done everything I had to do and I have a clean conscious. If I had thought only about me, I wouldn't feel this way. I've done everything possible and the coach knew it.
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He knew, and when Ronaldo injured, he asked you to play
in front, a situation you don't like and that doesn't fit your qualities. - My obligation is to do what I was told. Everybody knows I don't feel comfortable as a lone striker, I like playing behind, but he thought that was the best option for the team. Solari would come in, and he would look for more balance. It was his decision and sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. -The end- ¡@ |
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