FIGHT FOR LALIGA “Real Madrid has 27 lives, I see him champion”

Francisco Buyo (Betanzos, 63 years old) extended his professional career for 20 years. From Deportivo he jumped to Sevilla where he spent six years (1980-86). From there to the Bernabeú (86-97). In his first stage he faced 14 times what would later become his team: four victories, four draws and six defeats. In the second, up to 18 times he had his ‘ex’ as rivals: 12 won, three tied and three lost.

His two teams face mathematical chances of being champions.

An enormous joy. We are used to Madrid fighting for all titles, but Sevilla is newer. As a result of the leap in quality it has made in recent years. It is a club that works very well in all aspects. From the quarry to the signings thanks to the great eye of Monchi. We are facing a Sevilla champion of the Europa League and that is almost fixed in the Champions League. Sevilla only need a league title to reaffirm all that great career. On Monday he made a very important setback. It has a great disadvantage compared to its three rivals, the goal average. Sunday is going to fight. Lopetegui is especially motivated to face Madrid, for sure.

In a Madrid-Seville do you always put an “X”?

No. They are my teams together with Deportivo, but above all I am from Madrid. Since I was little. I stopped being it while I was from Sevilla.

Will the defeat on Wednesday affect Madrid?

Should not. Many players risk their future and their prestige. And they would be wrong to let go because they lost on Wednesday. They are expert people. Also, when they pass over you like airplanes there is little you can do. Madrid is very tired. There are players who have played so much that they can hardly …

In other words, he continues to see Real Madrid champion of the League.

Yes. It's my favorite. You will win all four games. Madrid do not have seven lives, they have 27, but I admit that I see it as very irregular. Sawtooth in his performance, but he has that winning gene that brings him back to life in times of need. It is a saying that we handle a lot, but it is also a reality. He does not play brilliant football, but he does play very effective. These last two years the mentality has changed. From being a team that played lightly on the attack, it has become more conservative. Zidane was smart. He realized that in attack he did not have the potential of other years due to Cristiano's departure and injuries and chose to arm himself further back. And then there is Benzema upstairs, who is the artist of the team.

And the Barça-Atlético?

Those are going to tie for sure. And if not that Barça win because it is what favors Madrid the most. The two are going to win and they are going to draw. And so the three maintain the illusion until the last day and at the end the champion Madrid.

The game of Barça enters more through the eyes than that of Real Madrid.

It depends on how everyone understands playing well. He has Messi who when he is fit and wants to play makes the team play. But it has many loopholes, especially defensive ones. And when he has a physical team in front of him, he has a hard time. I say this for PSG, for Bayern, for Real Madrid… I don't know if Atlético is also a physical team, or was it a physical team.

In his time as a player, Buyo before going to Sevilla was the Messi of the goal. All the clubs loved him.

At the age of 17 he was a starter at Deportivo in Segunda. You couldn't find such a young goalkeeper anywhere. The first to sign me was Málaga. He was at Mallorca (1975-76). I was 16 years old and I left for a weekend and the transfer was not made for one million of the old pesetas, six thousand euros from now. A month later I changed my residence and signed for Deportivo with Manuel Fernández Trigo as manager.

And there it begins to be an object of desire.

Madrid was in the play from the beginning. One day they called me at the club. The president, Antonio Álvarez and Emilio Rey, the president of La Voz de Galicia, were there. This told him to put the amount he wanted in a check because Real Madrid paid it. I told him to sign, what was he waiting for. It made me want to put the amount on me … but in the end it was not done. Then Miguel Ángel, García Remón, Agustín and Miguel were the goalkeepers and we agreed to wait a while. Then there was another episode with Atlético. They were going to look for me at the youth team concentration to sign now and in the end the negotiations were spoiled. There was talk of three and a half million pesetas.

And he ended up at Sevilla.

Its president Montes Cabeza was the delegate of the lower teams and he always encouraged me. He called me 'Buyito'. It was a self-signing. I told him to wake up, that there were three or four clubs negotiating with Deportivo, and the following week he was already at Sevilla. He was 22 years old and paid 25 million and a match at Riazor.

Barça was also in the fight.

With Barça there were three possibilities, two at the time of Deportivo and a third when he was already at Sevilla. Venables called me every week and told me I had to be his doorman. Just before the Champions League final. But then I had already approved the signing for Madrid. I was free.

You were free but Madrid paid 63 million pesetas for you.

The generosity of Ramón Mendoza. I told him to deal with me a bit, but he wouldn't.