“Espanyol is called to do great things”

Juan Luis Mora Palacios (July 12, 1973, Aranjuez) played nearly 250 games in the First Division, almost a third of which were defending the RCD Espanyol goal. He won a Copa del Rey with Los Pericos (2000) and another with Valencia (2008). Retired in 2010, he begins his 13th season as the technical secretary of a Levante team that has just dropped to Second Division. In an interview with MD, the Arancetan evokes, among other topics from his long football career, his Spanish stage, of which he claims to have pleasant memories.

How was the Espanyol you arrived at?

I spent six years at Real Oviedo, which served to make me known, and I signed for a consolidated Espanyol in the First Division. We managed to win a Copa del Rey against Atlético with an excellent combination of youth and experience. It was a very eager squad.

“With Espanyol we managed to win a Cup with an excellent combination of youth and experience”

Your exit was not the one you dreamed of

My agent at the time was wrong and my contract was not renewed. He wanted to stay and in the end I had to leave at the last minute for Xerez. However, I have a nice memory of Espanyol. I was also very comfortable at Real Oviedo and Levante. They are clubs that mark you.

Do you think that Espanyol should set European goals in LaLiga?

Due to history, club structure and fans, Europe is an attractive target, but the first thing is to ensure salvation and grow little by little. With good planning, Espanyol is called to do great things.

Espanyol is looking for goalkeepers after the departure of Diego López and Oier Olazabal. What profile would you sign?

It depends on the coach, but what is clear is that it is a key position in a team. The goalkeeper is part of the backbone along with the central defender, the midfielder and the forward. A high percentage of success is in the goalkeeper and defense. Houses must have good foundations and be solid defensively.

“A high percentage of the success of a team is in the goalkeeper and in the defense”

Dani Cárdenas, a goalkeeper that you know perfectly as he plays for Levante, has been sounding like a blue and white reinforcement

I have a very close relationship with Dani because I was also a goalkeeper. He came to Levante quite young and is very important to us. Over time he has been gaining experience and tranquility. He had injury problems that he has been able to solve. In any case, in football you never know what is going to happen and if a good offer arrives, everything can change.

How are they going down?

It has been a difficult year because the first team went down to Second and the subsidiary, to Third RFEF. The goal is to return to the First Division as soon as possible. We want to make a competitive template. But we already know that the Second is a very difficult category that becomes quite long. You have to fight until the last minute to be on top.

A shame for Levante the goodbye of captain José Luis Morales

He is a player that I signed for him back in the day. There are people who have not understood his departure to Villarreal, but he has said that he will always be from Levante. He was released after losing the category and decided to change clubs. No need to review it again.

“There is no need to dwell on Morales’ march to Villarreal. He has said that he will always be from Levante”

Do you have a thorn in your side for not having played with the absolute Spanish team after doing so with the U-21 and the Olympic?

The truth is that yes, but in the end it is a choice of the shift selector.

Is Spain’s goal secure for the World Cup in Qatar?

Perfectly. I know Robert Sánchez very well because he was in the Levante academy. He is a burly goalkeeper who retains the same body as he did when he was 16 years old. He has improved a lot over time. In my opinion, Spain is one of the favourites.

To finish, do you remember the six penalties that Japan awarded Sevilla in an Oviedo-Valladolid that ended 3-8 in May 1996 and that meant a record in the history of the First Division?

Of course, I was the Real Oviedo goalkeeper and I’ll never forget it! Every time a ball fell into the box, a penalty! Peternac scored five on me, four from the penalty mark. I felt a lot of anger and frustration. The match was a joke, it looked like a wedding. After each penalty, people shouted ‘another, another!’ and the players looked at each other saying ‘what is this!’. Japan Sevilla distorted the result.

“I lived an Oviedo-Valladolid with six penalties that Japan Sevilla awarded. The game was a joke, it looked like a wedding”

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