cantera insights from Miguel Torres

I didn’t have time to translate and write about this interview with Miguel Torres before Monday’s game, so I’m doing it now, because I think it provides very good insights into how difficult life is like for a canterano of quality from Real Madrid these days.  I hope things can change.  This interview is from Monday’s El Mundo.

Q:  Are you a footballer because of Míchel?

A:  No, because I started playing in Madrid when I was eight years old.  What is true is that Míchel has a lot to do with it because he gave me the opportunity to play in Castilla, so that I could also work with the first team.  Football gives you very little opportunities and you have to be prepared for them to take advantage of them.  I decided to come to Getafe because Míchel was here.

Q:  Was leaving Madrid the right decision?

A:  I had three more years left in my contract with Madrid and I could have stayed.  I’m young, I love football and I want to continue progressing, because I haven’t realized all my potential yet.  Getafe is a good destination and they let you work.  The aspirations of each footballer come from within.

Q:  To triumph, does one have to leave Real Madrid?

A:  There are very few cases of players from the cantera who have triumphed in Real Madrid.  People from the cantera have it more complicated than those from the outside [so true].

Q:  Why does Madrid invest so much in the formation of youths with talent, and then later on, when they’re mature, let them leave?

A:  In this aspect, Barcelona is doing a better job than Madrid, because they form players that are a reflection of the ones on the first team.  Then, they just have to exchange one piece for another, because the players are practically the same.

Q:  Is there a place for the cantera on the first team?

A:  There is a place, but it’s more complicated to triumph as a canterano in Madrid than in Barcelona.

Q:  What do you miss about Real Madrid?

A:  If I’m sincere, a lot of things because Real Madrid is a unique club, and not everyone has had the luck of playing for it.  Now I’m in another stage of my life to continue growing as a footballer.

Q:  Where are you more organized, on the field or in your day-to-day life?

A:  I’m very meticulous with order in my life, but even more so on the field.  I’ve always considered myself a team player, who tries to learn each day what is taught.  I do what my coach tells me to do, and that’s why I believe I’m organized in that aspect.

Q:  What is it about Míchel, that all the players want to return to him?

A:  He was a great player and he has a great sense of humor.  He has very good ideas about football that would help any team.  Not everyone can say they played this way and did that well.  In the future, Míchel will triumph in another great team.

Q:  Madrid now has a coach that is a bit particular; is it good that he captures all the attention?

A:  All his players speak wonderfully about him and all of them protect him.  Everyone always wants to know what he’s saying.