Diego Capel: “In Malta I have been received as a king”

There are times when to meet again it is necessary to travel thousands of kilometers. It is the case of Diego Capel (Almería, 1988), whom soccer toured in Europe – he played in Spain, Portugal, Italy and Belgium – and has now led to Malta. “I'm very happy. I have been received like a king And after several months without a team, I have managed to feel important again. The most valuable thing for a footballer is to feel valued and here I have noticed it from the first moment. I had a galactic presentation … I can't ask for more, “reveals the Sevilla squad to this newspaper.

After spending the first part of the season without a team, Capel received the call of the Birkirkara FC. “At first I was a little reluctant“, remembers the soccer player,” but I ended up accepting. “” Then other more interesting possibilities came up, like going to Greece, but I had already given my word. The Birkirkara showed a lot of interest and that for me was essential. I prioritized continuing in Europe because I know that I still have a couple of years of good football, “completes the Andalusian, who has left behind” difficult months “in which” people believed that he would be physically ill. ” I still have a lot to contribute. “

In Malta, Capel has found peace. “After trying so many things, you are looking for a place where you feel comfortable. Only in this way will you manage to give your best. Here they have given me all the facilities and that has made me find myself.” The Andalusian, who played almost 200 games with Sevilla and has in his record a European Under-19 and another Under-21, two UEFA Cups, a European Super Cup, two King's Cups, a Spanish Super Cup, a Portuguese Cup and a Belgian league, he confesses having been surprised by the reception he has had in Malta: “I thought that nobody would know me, but everyone knows who I am and have seen my videos”. “There was a great stir with my signing. It is a pride to see that people recognize my work. That they expect so much from me gives confidence and improves my expectations,” he completes.

In the locker room, Diego Capel is getting used to dealing with all kinds of questions about his past in Spain. “They ask me about my time in the national team, what it's like to play in LaLiga or what it means to have Messi or Cristiano in front of me”, two galactics with whom he was compared in 2008: “I was in one of the best moments of my career, but it is not my fault that a cover compares me with such footballers. It was very strong, but I was always clear that they were somewhere else level. In Spain they put you on a pedestal very quickly, but it did not affect me at any time. “

Last weekend, Diego Capel scored his first goal for Birkirkara, something he felt “like a release” after “a difficult stage”. “There is nothing better than scoring and feeling in a good moment. I am 32 years old, but I keep the illusion intact”, reveals the Andalusian, who is at the moment when he most values ​​being able to continue doing what he likes most: playing soccer . “The death of my brother José Antonio Reyes changed my perspective. You never expect that life, which has already taken me from Puerta, can take another partner in this way. So you have to take advantage of every moment. In Malta, yes, but I appreciate being able to continue enjoying this profession, which is beautiful. Hopefully we can do it for many more years, “he says.