Dani Garrido: “On television and radio I feel a lot of respect; in some cases even fear”

Go back to Movistar +. What can we expect from Report +?

The main objective is to fully respect the legacy of Michael Robinson. It's the only thing on my mind. I will be one of the decisions. I will be the presenter and what I will do is present in the most natural way possible and give room for people to see the report itself, which is the jewel in the crown. Simply that. The great value of the program is the report. It is neither the face nor the presentation. And I say it as it is. I enter on the condition that I am simply a piece. The last to arrive. The value lies in the tremendous potential and creativity of the team that Michael Robinson leaves behind. And they make me very involved in what they need, but this is a very launched issue.

What can advance?

Not much because upcoming reports are still taking shape. These are the first contacts because we have not been able to see each other as often as we would have liked due to the pandemic. There are issues being worked on and the philosophy will be the same. Go to the place where there is a good story and tell it like Michael told it. Following that school and that spirit. Of course not like he used to tell it because that's impossible and only a genius like him can do it. Yes with the people at his school, looking for the human face of sport, that B-face, that aspect of history that only privileged people like those on his team can see. It will not matter the entity of the protagonist, but the story. There will be media characters, but also little-known characters who have a beautiful and striking story to tell. The first report will pay tribute to the figure of Antonio Díaz-Miguel, pioneer and absolutely essential figure in Spanish basketball. You can see the players who starred in that silver medal, we remember that special championship … The fact of seeing those figures recalling how it happened, the assimilation of Antonio's method, how it was differentiating, how the conjunction of the greats occurred Barça players with the greats of Madrid, who lived tough games, has a very important interest.

You have grown up in radio. Where would you say you are most comfortable? How do you feel in the radio studio and how do you feel on the television set?

The first thing I feel is a lot of respect. In some cases even elevated to the category of fear. Respect being aware that you are facing a very great responsibility. When a studio light is turned on and a camera light is turned on. Responsibility and respect. Obviously afterwards I feel a lot of emotion and I feel privileged to be where I am. Sometimes I pinch myself and I don't think I can be doing Sports Carousel and Report +. It seems to me that it is far above what I deserve. My home is obviously the radio, but having the doors of a second home as luxurious and as special as television … (Laughs). Being given opportunities makes me feel tremendously flattered and surprised. If on the radio I have the feeling that I have to learn every day and that I keep making thousands of mistakes, on TV this is multiplied by ten. It is normal. I feel much more comfortable in a radio studio, but I do have the comfort of knowing that the people around me on TV help me evolve. I have a lot ahead of me to give the level that the product deserves. The room for improvement on TV is great. I need to improve and on the radio the same. Every day you learn something different.

In the beginning, who did you dream of speaking or interviewing with?

When I listened to Iñaki Gabilondo I was amazed. Because of his voice, his warmth, the journalist he is, because of how he communicates, his opinions, the fact that he is from Gipuzkoa like me … He seemed to me and continues to be the great reference of journalism and communication in this country. When I had the opportunity to meet him and talk with him about life, football, talks, it was a joy. You do not dream of being Iñaki Gabilondo, being Michael Robinson is absolutely impossible, but being able to meet them is the pear. In terms of sports, it was special for me to have been able to chat with José Ángel Iríbar. Although I did not see him play, I have seen everything I could of him. When I was working in Bilbao, I have met him at the institutional level, the excellent treatment with everyone, that elegance … And then I also had a strong contact of emotion with cycling. In 1990, when I was eleven years old, I saw Miguel Indurain win at my doorstep in a Tour of the Basque Country. It was a very important year for him and we went to do a job at Indurain, he signed us … Over time I have had the opportunity to chat with him on the air. Knowing those athletes who have been a reference for you makes you excited.

A topical one. Are you attracted to the European Super League or do you prefer the current system of national leagues and European competitions?

We will have to see the model. That first. If it is an evolved Champions, with a format in which any team in Europe has the opportunity to qualify through their league and star in a surprise, it would seem like a good idea to me. I am radically against a closed Super League. I cannot conceive it. Killing the dream of prowess, that of surprise, killing equal opportunities in football … I would vote for that not radically. I am very from the League. It's what I like the most. I love the great nights of the European Cup, but football is the surprise. The cover on the AS is a feat. It is not a 3-0 from a superior team to an inferior one. The great cover is what no one expects. The same throughout the year there are only one or two, but it is that day that David can with Goliath. It is what I have always liked about football. Obviously I love a Barcelona-Bayern, a Real Madrid-Liverpool, an Atlético-Juventus, but I believe in the exclusivity of that product. If it stops being exclusive, once or twice a year and happens randomly every weekend or every Tuesday and Wednesday, I think the product will lose value. What cannot be is these people who applaud everyone's Cup and then the closed Super League also seems good. It can't be… I think perhaps the Champions League deserves a review, an evolution to try to optimize it, but I don't believe in the closed Super League. It would be a shot in the foot for modern football.

Radio time. Congratulations on the EGM. Carrusel Deportivo continues to lead.

Yes. We are very happy. I hope it is not understood as false modesty, but in the end we work for the listeners. The more audience the better, but our joy is the joy of the people who connect with us at any time and who decide what Carousel Is a good product. To be entertained, follow a soccer game or whatever the matter. Whether in a living room, in a kitchen, taking a walk, at work, on the way to a stadium when you can return … Carousel. And I think it is not the current director or the people who work in him. It is a brand since 1950 that has always been very solid. We are very happy to celebrate the leadership. I am not the one to assess the results of other products and other colleagues. Each working group develops its work with its own style in the best possible way. The radio shows that it is a very lively medium and what we can do is celebrate the number, the leadership, keep going, keep having fun, keep getting excited and keep defending the brand Carousel. Regardless of who defends it.

During the pandemic, a closer radio had to be made.

Yes. Especially between March and July. Until the return of the League. I learned many things. I realized that I am not yet as complete a communicator as I thought. Approaching that human side of the real problems that arise is complex. They must be treated with a special sensitivity. We pull a lot from radio listeners. They had a very important common thread in those difficult months. We had company … We humbly returned to the most basic values ​​of radio. Just be there, keep company, listen to the listener, tell us what they wanted to tell … I remember we received very emotional calls, very hard, very complicated, others of hope … They were months that we hope they will not return because it would be a sign of that we keep on going and everything is going well, but they were also months from which we learned a lot and in which we got very excited with the listeners.

A team effort. And a very large team.

In all the tasks that one develops a weekend, with First, Second, basketball, handball, events of any kind, about 150 or 200 people can participate. The simplest of Carousel is to present it. You have a very important talent in any field, court or comment and that is simple. It is understanding that you have to realize and give way to people who truly know. The complicated thing is the production. It is a very different and complex job. And I have the best. I have them in production, the best commentators and the best wireless. So everything is much easier.

Make a wish for 2021.

I would like it to be a great year. That we leave behind a very complex situation that has left many victims and many families broken without explanation along the way. This has been a very difficult year. We do not have to run, but I do hope that in 2021 we will return, as far as possible, to normality. With the measures that we are going to have to maintain in the following months and even years … I wish 2021 to be a year of health. That things improve, that we do not lose more people along the way for reasons that we did not expect and that the economic situation improves. The sanitary is the fundamental thing, but we also need to recover the stability of the families.