In a cafeteria in the middle of Rambla Catalunya, next to Roselló street, Sergi Mas (Barcelona, 1964) spits out reflections for 52 minutes while having a coffee. Espanyol returns to television even if it is online, in a totally different communication as pointed out by a journalist who has been addicted to football for more than 30 years … And a whole life hooked on Espanyol. His mobile is an encyclopedia, with summaries of games from the 70s or all the collections of stickers since Solsona and Marañón dazzled Sarrià. Espanyol and communication are the topics of conversation in a hostile and changing moment.
What is La Grada TV?
It is a friendly gathering, not humorous, in which we want to group everyone parakeet who wants to enter. We are an effervescent club, with hobbies, wanting to protest. Here respect will prevail. Thus, we all entered. With insults, nobody.
In what format?
We will broadcast on YouTube, teve.cat and four platforms plus one hour a week, on Mondays at 9:00 p.m. I don't remember this on a private television beyond Pericosonline. As far as possible we will do it live from a theater, but now it will not be possible due to restrictions due to the pandemic. I have taken my experience with Pablo Motos. There, where I worked for two years, I saw how a 'late' is rehearsed and managed and I want to apply that to the sports format. ‘Maracaná’ was an attempt at Cuatro, but Espanyol is different. This will be the only television product that Espanyol has. I want it to be a parakeet anthill.
What parts will the program have?
I want optimism, because the bad news already exists. I would like non-parakeet people to look at it and even people who don't like football. There will be an initial monologue, a very radio talk show, a tactical analysis of the game and a guest. And more news. For example, every 21 minute we will stop and clap. And at minute 30 there will be the hydration break. We want it to resemble a football game, I have even bought a goal for the guests to shoot penalties and there is a classification.
What type of guests will attend?
“We're going to Denmark, good afternoon Lauridsen, what's up blond …” Things like that. Technology is now playing in our favor. You can do fancy stuff. In the United States, with a mobile phone, they are able to broadcast a mass with only one camera and with different shots. We will be limited until we have a theater, because there we will add salsa to the program. I give you an example. If Dani Sánchez Llibre comes, we will put three different types of cockles and you have to guess which one is from the Dani brand. If the stewardess drops the cockles, that's cava; on TV it's tension.
Will you have the complicity of the club?
They are open to what we need. Then it will be seen. I would love to have Raúl de Tomás, but you have to go through all the states you need from the moment he is communicated until he finally agrees to come. The program does not have filters, always with education, but with one thing clear: Barcelona will not be talked about.
Sergi Mas, at the Windsor.
GORKA LEIZA
You started this more than 30 years ago. How has this type of format changed?
Now you can't understand an audiovisual production without humor. The normal thing before was a man with a microphone and someone giving an opinion. And that was going to mass. What happens to me is that I get bored when I see that the interviews with the players are flat, they always say the same thing. There is a small jump from solemnity and seriousness to when Barcelona matches start to be broadcast, where there are already five people in a booth, there are interviews with the fans about the type of sandwiches, there are imitations … And that is now normal . In 30 years everything has changed.
Now it is pure entertainment, therefore a show.
Before there was a person who explained things, who during the descent would put a record and go to urinate. “Kind regards” … Now it's a relaxed show, the communicators defend a team and get angry … We show the shirt and a lighter to burn others. The normal thing is that Rac 1 or Catalunya Ràdio want Madrid to lose. This has been transformed. That 'it's a Spanish team that plays in Europe and I want them to win' no longer exists. We have changed the message, the how and the form.
And in that scenario, has Espanyol been losing weight and respect in Catalonia?
There is very little respect for Espanyol in Catalonia. Outside we are quite admired. In Catalonia there is hatred. The other day I upload a photograph to Instagram in which I appear at the RCDE Stadium and one person answers me: “Second cocoons.” The first thing I tell you is that the comma is missing … This 25 years ago was unfeasible.
Why has this thought been so transformed?
There is something political that plays against us, there are public institutions that despise the club. The same does not happen with Girona. What hurts and annoys me the most is the fact that journalists take their masks off. There are people of the trade whose vein swells … Don't worry, you'll have dinner anyway. Some communicators can't stand us. This cannot be a war. I do not understand the hatred of the little one, who does not win. I never saw that contempt. It's like wearing a coat in summer, they point you out on the street. The other day I was walking with my daughter in Sitges and a man when he passed me said with contempt: “Perico”. If the minority bothers you, you set a bad example of coexistence. Collet has already synthesized it in one sentence …
And do you think you can turn in the future?
Historically, Barcelona was a losing club. When Messi leaves, he may not win a league every two or three years on average. Television rights have influenced it, and when this is over… It's the game of Monopoly. I think that when the post-Messi era arrives, the close will have to be valued more. There are kids who have only seen Barcelona winning leagues. Espanyol lost an opportunity in the 50s. Kubala was the Messi for Barcelona at the time, and we don't manage it well there.
All of that led to the first decline in the early 60s. What do you remember from the years in Segunda in the 80s and 90s?
They catch me working with Alfonso Arús. I joined to do the Barcelona games for eight years, in addition to the morning program ‘Arús con Leche’ and another called ‘Attack’. The normal thing was to sleep four hours, to make scripts after finishing eating in a poster. The programs are now better because they have scriptwriters, actors … Each one has their role. Before we all did everything. It was crazy …
But more romantic …
It was a toy show. The girlfriends of the players listened to us. I saw Serna listening to our broadcast on a bench. At that stage I couldn't play Espanyol games, although I went to Sarrià as a fan of some of them. I remember little, I was thinking about work all day. I don't have great memories of that black and dark Espanyol with Julio Pardo.
A lot of shit, Sergi.
Thank you.