Sergio on Punto Pelota, part IV

There’s still a lot more left from Punto Pelota!

JP: You are leading Madrid into the future, right? You and Iker Casillas are basically the future of this team?

SR: Well, maybe, but you can’t forget our current standard-bearers, Raúl as well as Guti, and as long as they’re part of the team, the weight of leadership will always be shared. We’re very grateful for their example, and for me, because I consider myself a young player with a lot to learn, to have such veteran players as captains, really helps us to learn so that in the future, when they’re not there, those of us who have been here the longest will know how best to lead such a complicated vestuario as this one.

JP: Has Guti confirmed to you that he’s going to Bangkok?

SR: I saw him on his motorcycle, you know? No, for the moment, he hasn’t confirmed anything. Right now we don’t know anything, we’ll have to wait and see what happens.

JP: Do you think Raúl is the heart of Madrid?

SR: I’ve always seen him in that way, ever since I arrived, and it’s clear that nobody doubts his professionalism, his example, and I don’t think there’s words to describe the greatness of a player like our captain. Even if he wants to stay three more years, he can – we’ll always have the “7” and his place reserved for him.

José Damián González: After what Iniesta said (about not watching Madrid games) and what you said (if people don’t like how we play, turn off the television!)… about this game on Saturday, Madrid and Barça are playing at the same time – what channel should I turn off?

SR: Look, after what I said, I spoke to Iniesta, because we get along really well, because he’s a fenómeno as a footballer and as a person, and he told me that he was watching a movie, everyone’s free to watch whatever they like, and what they told me was that he said something almost completely different. I said that anyone who doesn’t want to watch Madrid should change the channel or turn off the TV. Everyone’s free to watch whatever they want, there’s lots of channels… but no one is bored, and no one is turning off Madrid with the way we’re playing right now, I guarantee you!

JP: What movie was Iniesta watching?

SR: I’ll ask him! It was so bad that I don’t even remember!

Tomás Roncero: (asks some question about RM’s defeat by Barça)

SR: I believe you always have to have your mind on one team, which is Real Madrid, and never give up on it.

JP: Did you celebrate the elimination of Barça from the Champions League?

SR: No, not me, not at all (much laughter). I’ve always said that I prefer a Spanish team to win, rather than a foreign team. It’s clear that – although it hurts me to say it – I celebrated Inter’s goal, although another part of me was saddened.

JP: Let’s go back to this thing with Roncero – does Roncero treat you badly?

SR: No, no, he’s never treated me badly, it’s true that he used to praise me a bit more, but now he’s got his golden boy, Cristiano, so he doesn’t love me as much anymore!

[Roncero disagrees; there’s lots of crosstalk which I can’t decipher but Sergio says that as long as the team wins then he doesn’t care.]

Iñaki Cano: I have two images of Sergio: one from when I was in Sevilla, I asked Del Nido (José María del Nido, the president of Sevilla), “is [Sergio] going to leave?” Del Nido said no, no, no, but even at that time, he, Florentino and I knew that Sergio was already going to Real Madrid. I can’t forget that image. And with Luis Villarejo, I don’t know if he’ll remember, when he made his training debut with the Spanish national team in Salamanca, there were a couple of handicapped children just on the other side of the barrier in the stands. And while everyone else went to go to the dressing rooms, Raúl was at midfield and turned back to sign autographs for the kids, and this one (Sergio), who has a lot of faults but also has really good things about him – well, he has fewer faults now – because he’s not stupid and he knew that his future was in Madrid, said “what is the captain doing?!” and turned around and went to the handicapped children and spent about twenty minutes signing autographs for them, going up through the stands. That’s when Luis Villarejo and I said, “he’s going to be part of Real Madrid.” You’ve talked a lot about the greatness of Raúl. Has he taught you a lot?

SR: Yes, absolutely, and not just me, but any player who’s signed for Madrid, who enters the dressing room, always has something to learn from somebody, and the one in charge of teaching is Raúl, because he’s a great player, he’s been with the club forever, he has lived for Madrid, he has white blood in his veins… and he’s the one who best instills those values, as captain. We’ve always been lucky to have him and learn from him. At least for me, because I was a “súper joven” (very young) player, because I arrived at Madrid practically without ever having been outside of Spain, it’s true that players like Zizou, like Raúl, who are veteran players, who’ve lived through a lot of experiences, it’s important to learn from them, for the future, no?

IC: If you’ll allow me… he’s very quiet about some things, like José Mercé said earlier, but he collaborates with Apascovi, and I participate in the tournament – I’m the one who always shoots the ball way off in the wrong direction – but last year you raised €192,000. Now they have multiplied that amount, they’ve raised €292,000, so you all (the audience) have to help out Apascovi, too!