Today marks the 40th anniversary of a historic Cup final. Real Madrid measured its subsidiary, Castilla, in which Castañeda played, although he alternated with training with the first team. Madrid and one of the most important players in the history of Osasuna, who also just passed COVID-19, remembers that final for AS.
-What do you remember of that Cup final, a priori, unusual?
Of course it was something unusual. It is very difficult for the case, as it happened, for a subsidiary to play a Cup final, let's say against his father, who in this case was Real Madrid.
– In addition, some players like you trained with Real Madrid?
In the team that played the final there were five or six of us who trained with the first team. The relationship was very direct. We trained together and played training games. Between Real Madrid and Castilla there was a very close and very beautiful relationship.
-For you it must have been a complicated situation …
It was an awkward situation. Firstly, after all the qualifying rounds passed, the motivation and enthusiasm were very intense and we had the spirit to eliminate them. But it was Real Madrid and it was unfeasible for Castilla to beat Real Madrid.
“We trained together and played training games. Between Real Madrid and Castilla there was a very close and very beautiful relationship”
-The first team had no compassion, the defeat was bulky …
Yes. We lost six to one. The fans were with us. In all the qualifiers that we went through, due to the rivals we had to measure ourselves, the field was always full. As we went through the tie, all the Madrid fans were turning to Castilla. For the first team it was also an uncomfortable situation because apart from the semifinal, in which Atlético de Madrid were measured, they faced passable qualifying rounds.
-In contrast, Castilla, to reach that final had to eliminate strong teams
To reach a Cup final the teams go through a series of very different circumstances each year. We had the bad luck, and at the same time the good luck because we eliminated them, that all the 'roosters' of Primera played us. We started by eliminating Racing, who was the leader of Second, then we eliminated Hercules, who was in First. In his field we lost three to zero and in the second leg we won four to zero. Then we eliminated Athletic in San Mamés, Real Sociedad that was living its golden age and Sporting that year had a great team, with players like Quini, Ferrero, Maceda … They were runners-up in the League. I think that if Atlético de Madrid had touched us in the final, we would have won the Cup. We had it clear. In fact, Luis Aragonés preferred to be played by Real Madrid than Castilla in the semifinal.
-What memory do you keep most fondly of that game?
From that game I kept bad milk at the beginning. Then everything is over. It was a game with very strange circumstances. As I said, you can not beat the father and less to Madrid at that time. They were Del Bosque, Juanito, Santillana, Camacho, Benito … They had a very good team, in fact they won the League that year. In Castilla there were Agustín, Espinosa, Gallego, Bernal… Most of us who were in Castilla then ended up playing in First Division.
“I was fourteen days admitted and they were about to put me in the ICU. It affected me a lot to the muscles. In three days I lost eleven kilos”
-What was the attitude of the Madrid players at the end of the match?
Good We had the usual dinner. For me it was like closing a stage because that year was when I already signed for Osasuna. I had to choose because as Madrid had won the League I could have played the Recopa, but I decided to go to Osasuna, who had just ascended.
-Back to today. You have just recovered from the coronavirus, how are you feeling?
I'm already very well. In the last consultation with the pulmonologist he told me that in a couple of months the lungs will be completely clean. It has already passed, although it was a scare. It happens very badly. It has been hard. I was admitted for fourteen days and they almost got me into the ICU. It affected me a lot to the musculature. In three days I lost eleven kilos. I was lucky to evolve well.
–What was noticed?
I started having a little fever, tenths, and general discomfort. He was tired, he was returning. I went to the emergency room and they released me. Not being able to receive visits is also very hard, although I adapt to everything. It makes you uneasy because you don't know when the loss of muscle mass will stop. Recovery is slow.
-Although we are in de-escalation, we must bear in mind that the Coronavirus is still there …
People who see it in a passive way are because they have not passed it and do not know what it is. They do not care. Everyone who does not meet the standards is because they do not know what it is. I am very grateful to the doctors and all the health personnel because the treatment has been impressive.