Ángel: “I always dreamed of playing for Espanyol again”

How does the team get to the duel against Espanyol?

We cope well. Both defeats have been against teams of a very high level. We have taken the complexes out of debuting a bit. We have realized that we are second-rate players in their own right, that we can compete against anyone. We must continue to grow and face the game with optimism and respect. Espanyol is the highest level team in the league, but we are capable of standing up to anyone. Hopefully we get the game we want.

Is the demanding schedule taking its toll on this start of the League?

We started strong, against Rayo and Mallorca. We missed the games in the final minutes, but we competed with a squad with many casualties. For this weekend we recover people and we will have more options. We approach the game with great respect, but also with the confidence that we have from having competed well in the previous two games.

The only objective of the team is permanence?

We are in a very powerful category and we want to keep it. We are not going to give up anything, but the goal is to save ourselves. I would be optimistic if I thought we could do otherwise. We must maintain humility and respect for the other teams in the category.

Is the duel against Espanyol special for you?

In the end, I played against Espanyol, the team that saw me grow, that allowed me to fulfill the dream of making my debut in the First Division, that gave me so many good moments… They were the most special years of my career. Facing them will be very emotional.

Also, it will be the first time. He has never faced Espanyol.

I have played against the reserve team, but not against the first team. When I went on loan to Rayo and Girona, these teams were in the Second Division. Now I have the opportunity, which unfortunately has come about because Espanyol has dropped. It tasted very bad to me, football is capricious. I will face the team that gave me everything.

Did you think you would ever play against Espanyol?

I always imagined and dreamed of going back to Espanyol. It is the club of my life, my home, I came out in a way that I do not remember with gratitude. I would have liked to fulfill the contract and stay there all my life. I always dreamed of playing there again and that dream will always be there. Anyway, now I am in a club where I am very comfortable. But I have that thorn of not having been able to continue for more years at Espanyol. Now I live it with a healthy rivalry, because I have a lot of affection for the fans and workers of the club. I do not hold a grudge, it is a motivation.

You wore the Espanyol shirt in one of the club's best times, when they reached the UEFA final against Sevilla.

It was me and Julián López de Lerma, we were the youngest. I did not play the final, but I did travel. Being with the team, the previous one, living it as we lived it… it was unforgettable. I am very grateful because I lived through a golden age of the club. We could beat any team. We had a great team and we knew it. There was not as much difference as there is now with Barça and Madrid. We had an extraordinary squad.

And after two assignments you went to England. How was the experience?

He was playing there for six years. When I went I was not so prepared for people outside. I managed to survive six years, although the last two I was on leave. I suffered a serious knee injury, with four operations in less than a year. I considered retiring, my knee was battered, I couldn't see myself playing. But I am a warrior. I tried one more time and the opportunity for Sabadell arose. I didn't mind putting on my work overalls, my rings didn't fall from playing in Second B. At the beginning, I wasn't physically well, but I managed to reinvent myself and enjoy myself again. Three years later the reward has come to me: I have returned to a professional category. It was a very special gift.

How did you experience the return to Spanish football?

The first year was difficult. Second B is screwed up. You go from having a good salary, with which you are relieved, to a semi-professional football in which they demand you like a professional, but they don't pay you like one. I and my family had to make changes to adapt. I am very proud of my family, of how we adapt and take things off. Now I can say again that I am a professional gamer. With capital letters.

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You have never stopped thinking about Espanyol, but the fans have never stopped remembering you.

From the first minute I left Espanyol, the fans have never disconnected from me, either through social networks or by any other means. I have found parrots that approach you, greet you and ask for a photo. I have always kept a very close relationship with the Espanyol fans. We are a family and a family is forever. When I met a parakeet in England it was very special.

Would you have liked to be able to play with the public?

Yes, I think it is a special game because many parrots have a sympathy for Sabadell. I think they are similar clubs, not in size, but in characteristics. They are two humble, familiar clubs. Many parrots were waiting to come to Nova Creu Alta. Hopefully in the return we can play with the public. I would be very excited. I always felt the affection of the parakeets and they always had my affection.

So are you waiting for the match in Cornellà-El Prat?

I have never played in that stadium, I left the club that summer. The first time I went to Cornellà it was to say goodbye to Dani Jarque when he passed away. I want to go back to play and remove that thorn.