“I thought about retiring because of the pain …”

Juan Cala, Cádiz central defender, has opened up to the media when talking about his knee injury. A mishap that led him to undergo surgery at the end of last season. The Lebrijano recognizes that he has suffered so much pain that he has been about to leave football. Finally, with the help of his circle and little by little he has managed to add minutes again and affirms that he is already in optimal condition even to play as a starter against Real Sociedad if Álvaro Cervera considers it appropriate.

Injury recovery. “The process has been complicated. When last season we decided, between all parties, to force to end the season and ultimately operate, we did not think that what we were going to find would have been so serious. I was worse than we expected and the recovery process has taken longer and I even considered not continuing because of the pain. There was a critical moment at the end of the recovery in which I spoke with the coach to stop because I was not willing to crawl through the fields, I have no need. I wanted to be honest. Between the coach and the president we talked and we gave ourselves a second chance, going more slowly and the knee has responded well. The other day in the second part I was more focused on not feeling pain than on anything else. I felt good despite the last unfortunate play that has been accompanying me since I arrived at Cádiz (penalty per hand). In general terms the knee responded and these two weeks have been good for me to start on Sunday from where Álvaro Cervera decides ”.

Complicated situation. “It is not easy, it is the third operation on the same knee. I have assimilated that there will come a time when the knee does not respond and I will make the decision to withdraw. Given that critical moment, we all looked for the solution and the knee responded. I no longer think about how long it will last, I focus on the day to day. I am condemned to retire to a day by the knee, but while that day arrives I enjoy every day. Since I arrived in Cádiz, everything that has happened to me has been good. We are a family and they show it to me day by day. Yesterday I had a family mishap and the first person to solve it was the president and I thank him. They show me that they are a family and I have to be honest about it and I will give 200% ”.

Support in tough times. “The people around me. At that moment I went into the locker room and I talked about it with the coach and with the president, but also with my father, my partner and my mother and I told them that I did not see myself and that if I did not get ahead I would leave it. They try to reassure you, take away your decision and in the end I said that I would give it a second chance. I spoke with the doctor and together we have taken it forward and now I have returned to have minutes and to train with the group. That is what makes me happy. When it is in this situation the first thing is the family. My circle has supported me ”.

Available for Álvaro Cervera. “I am not a very physical player like a wing or a wing. I am a tactical player. I have been training with the team for three or four weeks and we have done specific work and I did not expect to play 45 minutes against Osasuna and it served me as a filming. These two weeks have made me feel good and have confidence again. I am more than prepared to face the game against Real Sociedad from the beginning if the coach considers it ”.

Hard defeat against Osasuna. “We analyze all the games, whatever the result, to go one step further and improve. After the Osasuna stick, more connotations must be analyzed. Phases of the game in which in the 80th minute we are winning and we must be another team that does not allow the rival to reach the area so much because mistakes can be made. It is not only to look at the actions, but also, I am the first to be involved in one of the actions and I have to improve so that no more happens. I assume the error and I am not sorry to assume it. We know where we went wrong and we have had the bad luck that the game has chased us for two weeks and the good luck that those two weeks have given us to talk and solve things. We always analyze everything and beat each other when things are not going well like a father to his son. We are looking forward to going out on Sunday to try to keep the three points at home and to regain the smile that we carry as our flag ”.