Alexander Catena (Mostoles, Madrid, 1994) draws attention on the green. Not only because of his height, but also because of his temperance and her stripes. He debuted in the First Division with Paco and an evicted Rayo -on May 12, 2019- and now he has consolidated in the elite with Iraola and a team that touched the sky and begins to see hell in the rearview mirror. But the central defender is not afraid of the bad streak because he recognizes the group that captivated in the first round and knows that the permanence will come Sooner than later. When he thinks of her, he thinks of her in the stands too. The same one that he took in when he was 14 years old and visiting with colleagues. The same in which those friends of that time and his family continue. They are his anchor to reality. They remind him of who he is, where he came from and what it took to get there. He is not worried about the futureor, beyond seeing the Franja in First another year more. The recipe to achieve this is unity, especially that of a locker room that discusses everything and jokes with everything. Complicity is one of their weapons, as are work and humility. Values that Catena shares with Rayo, the neighborhood and its people.
—How are you after the controversial draw in Granada?
—Annoyed by the result, by how the second half went, by staying with one less, something that greatly conditioned the match… Although the sensations were good. When we were in numerical equality we came out reinforced with what we did.
-With the arbitration they will have gone through different phases, from anger to resignation…
“There is no other way but to accept it.” The mosqueo has to go away even during the game because it conditions you even more and it’s worse. We worked well in the first part and in the second, we knew how to suffer. We entered the match well, we pressed up high, we won duels, we created chances, we took advantage of set pieces… It’s what we have to repeat against Valencia. You have to prepare well for disputes and second plays.
—And the goals returned…
—We were lacking, yes, especially if we compare it with the first round. Now all the ones we haven’t done lately will come. We are very happy for Sergi Guardiola. He deserves it. Those at the top have more focus, they are the ones who are questioned if they don’t score, even if they work very well…
—Looking at the calendar, can you?
-Sure! There are few games in which we have not competed well or in which we have not been close to getting something. That makes us go forward. We are convinced that we will be saved, hopefully sooner rather than later.
“We don’t give the feeling of being dead or having no arguments”
—Did you imagine that in the end you would have to suffer a little?
—Everything couldn’t turn out as round as at the beginning… We imagined that bad times would come, but not such a long streak of not winning. Within that, we are not so bad. We don’t give the feeling of being a dead team, that doesn’t know what it’s doing, that has no arguments…
—Speaking of suffering… which rival has had the hardest time stopping?
—The rivals, in general, are very good in the First Division. The one who has impressed me the most has been Benzema.
—You are a fixture for Iraola and you scored in Los Cármenes…
—I am happy with the confidence of the coaching staff and my teammates. This also generates a feeling of responsibility. The goal? It is the fruit of rehearsing the set piece, the reward for everyone’s work.
“Where does ‘Catenbauer’ come from?”
—From Mostoles! I don’t know if it was the fans or a colleague, but between one and the other they began to say it to me in good spirits and, to this day, they continue to call me (laughs). She makes me laugh and transmits affection to me. It takes me back to the Móstoles stage, which was playing with friends.
“What’s left of that kid?”
-Everything. I have matured, but I am the same. This time has helped me to improve, although I keep doing the same things, thinking the same… The Reus thing made me learn and value the really important things.
—What forges more character: the dirt pitches or stages like the Bernabéu or the Metropolitan?
-Both of them. Perhaps where you really see who or how you are is on the big stages, but to get there and perform well it is important that it has cost you and you know that the road is not easy.
—You, Óscar Valentín… embody the profile of soccer ‘workers’.
— Here we are several, yes. It is good that there are players who come from below and also the diversity… Some have had other paths, which are not like yours, but they could have been just as difficult or more. It is difficult to arrive.
“And what keeps you from taking your feet off the ground?”
-It’s simple. I look at the stands and I see the people who did it when he played in fields that hardly anyone knows cheering me on. The same friends, my family, my girlfriend… That’s important and keeps me going. I know that wherever I go, they will be. Although those stadiums are no longer the Bernabéu.
“The rival that has impressed me the most has been Benzema”
-I went to Vallecas when I was 14 years old, how do you live it now from the lawn?
—It’s special to feel it from the other side. I came and I liked the atmosphere. Seeing those people, like I was a few years ago, who gives themselves to the team, enjoys and thanks you for the effort… It’s brutal!
“What’s so different about Lightning?”
—The human factor. It is shown not only in how close the fans are to the team, but also within the locker room itself. We have reflected that philosophy of the club, the neighborhood and the people on a day-to-day basis and we show it on the pitch. The fans perceive it. He sees it reflected in us.
—Contract ends in 2023, do you see yourself in Rayo in the future?
—I’m happy, but I don’t think much about the future, nor do I look beyond this season. Saving us is the only thing on my mind.
—He studied Economics in English. There are a few who have a degree, a master’s degree…
—There are many people with concerns here, regardless of whether they have studies. In the dressing room we talk about everything, we give our opinion and we end up looking for who is right. It’s cool. Is there any ‘allologist’… (laughs).
“Oscar, alias ‘the professor’?”
-Yes Yes. Luckily there is the internet to dismantle many arguments (laughs).