“Arratsalde on, zer moduz?”. Miguel Ángel Moyá (37 years old, Binisalem, Mallorca) still remembers what he learned in San Sebastián. “Good afternoon, how are you,” he greets in Basque, as always very kind, to the newspaper AS. Six months ago I was in the dressing room at Real, and before that at Atlético. Both Simeone and Alguacil have trained him. There are few better than the Balearic goalkeeper to analyze the preview of the Copa del Reale Arena game, and everything that surrounds him.
-How is life as a commentator?
Well, in the end it’s something new for me, I started in September and I’m reaching the halfway point, and I’m very happy because it was something new that had always caught my attention. And being able to debut on television, hand in hand with the national reference network in football, is very nice. It’s another life, more reread, trying new things, although I have a very big responsibility. It is very interesting.
-Does it cost you to have to analyze and criticize colleagues and friends with whom you did not share a locker room?
Yes, the truth is that it is still curious and at the same time exciting, it is complicated. Because you have to talk and give your opinion about friends. And I like to characterize myself by my impartiality, and the most complicated thing is when one of my teammates stars in a controversial move. But since I have a very clear pattern of not criticizing without giving an argument, well, that makes things easier for me. Because if something is white, then it is white, as happened with the last expulsions of Oyarzabal and Giménez.
-Can you say that you have definitely hung up your gloves?
Today, to be honest, the door is not completely closed, but at the level of expectations I no longer expect anything, I am very comfortable as I am. I don’t have the need for a team to call me to brighten my life or my future. I’m fine. But I’m not closing the door, because it’s not going to be that now a team calls me in this market and I’m left, as they say now, ‘portrayed’. But my idea is not to go to any team, but if the opportunity comes and they convince me, well, I would think about it. I have no expectation of playing in a team again.
-Do you still feel sorry that they didn’t renew you last summer at Real?
Of course it goes through the head. But since I got along very well from the first moment, I don’t miss the ball as much as I miss the people, honestly. Connecting with my friends from Real and Atlético, because that’s what makes me happiest, because I especially like the relationship with my people, meeting up and chatting. But dressing in shorts and training, putting on gloves and blocking a ball, I honestly don’t miss that at all. In fact, I have now signed up for tennis because I have always liked it to learn and completely change my routine as a sport that I practice.
-I’m going to put you in a compromise, do you have a divided heart?
Completely. In fact, if you were going to ask me who I want to win, I was going to ask you for the wild card, as Piqué was offered in ‘El Homiguero’ (Laughter). You already know that I like to speak clearly and get wet, avoiding controversy. But here I would lie to you if I told you otherwise. I’m going to enjoy the game and every attacking play… I’m going to watch it with popcorn from home, because I don’t have to comment on the game, and logically may the best man win. I’m going to be happy either way, and I’m going to be sad either way, because I have friends on both sides.
-And which of the two needs more to pass this tie?
To either of them. And if it didn’t happen, Atlético would have it a little worse, because of how these weeks had gone, which lost the semifinal of the Super Cup and in the league it is being irregular. I think Atlético would be more injured if they don’t pass.
-Who is the favorite in the tie?
(sighs) Just as in the semifinal of the Super Cup I thought that Atlético was the favourite, due to squad and position in the standings, here we are talking about two teams that are even in the league and that arrive at a time of certain doubts. I couldn’t tell you, equal 55% Real Sociedad and 45% Atlético de Madrid, if I have to tell you percentages.
-So you think that something better is coming to Real…
Yes, perhaps because of that last win for Real against Celta, and that’s what gives it that 10% difference in favoritism for me. But when Atlético is injured, it is a very dangerous rival and they are going to focus all their energy on changing their dynamics in this Cup match, because Cholo always said that football pays you back, and the payback is this Wednesday at the Reale Arena .
-Do you feel very touched in your pride at Atlético for not reaching the final of the Super Cup?
Much. Yes. All you have to do is listen to them talk about the lack of aggressiveness the other day, so they will surely have a higher point of concentration and higher intensity. But Imanol will be preparing his players for that idea, because knowing him will tell them that his motivation will not be less. He goes to a duel in style. I really want to see the game.
-Are you expecting a match similar to the one in the league at the Metropolitan?
What I expect is a Real true to its hallmarks of going to look for the rival and not waiting for him, being aggressive in the opposite field and being brave playing the ball when he can. And Atlético I have a little more doubts, if they waited in order to see what Real does, or if seeing what has happened in their last games, they decide to push up front being brave because they have shown that they have a lot of quality with the ball. It creates more doubts in me about how Atlético is going to come out than Real.
– Do you think all the criticism that Simeone is receiving is unfair or would you renew him for life despite the alleged bad timing?
Because of the feeling that unites me with him, of course I would renew him for life. But being honest and serious, in the coach’s job life does not exist, it is linked to the results. What I do have clear is that Cholo has a mattress and a broader credit than any coach in world football. I don’t think that because Atlético is having the worst season in recent years, Cholo Simeone should be questioned at all. And it is that eye, Atlético is in privileged areas and has everything this season. Perhaps fighting for the league, which is the current champion, is more difficult; but not enter the Champions League, which is his goal for the season. I wouldn’t even dream of arguing with him right now. Simeone has to do very badly and the team must be very bad for him to be dismissed. It is that the history of the club has changed, and that people know. That then they do not settle for the present because it is worse than the past? Well, football is so ungrateful.
-So Simeone’s cycle at Atlético is far from over…
For me it is not over. You have credit for a long time yet. But it’s just my opinion, then those in charge and the rest of the people will have theirs, of course.
-Do you see Imanol Alguacil for Real what Simeone is for Atlético?
Logically, yes. He is the ideal coach for Real, as Simeone is for Atlético, or at least to this day. And that he still does not have the credit, and that he has a lot because achieving what he has done with Real in these three and a half years is very complicated, which Simeone does have at Atlético. But it is that he has been a decade and Imanol still has a long way to go to get there. But I see in Imanol a time coach for Real, if he continues to do things as he has done until now and they don’t go wrong. No one at the club has any doubts that at the moment he is the best possible coach for Real.
-The duel will also be in the goal. His admiration for Oblak is vox populi, so I ask him about his friend Remiro…
It’s probably not the most objective opinion in the world, because I’m very fond of it. And with Oblak the same thing happens to me, but the one who has been called into question is Remi. Beyond the two plays in which he fails and he was the first to criticize himself, his season is remarkable. He is collecting clean sheets, with historical numbers for a Real goalkeeper. All the goalkeepers are making their mistakes, perhaps Courtouis is the only one who is making a difference this season. But Remiro is the ideal goalkeeper for Real, with skills with his feet and very good hands. We are going to value what we have if anyone from Real has doubts about how good a goalkeeper Remiro is. I also want to value Ryan, who when he has left he is doing very well, and he may play in the Cup. Imanol likes to reward players and does not give away minutes, so if he plays it is for a reason.