Joaquín Sánchez: “Mbappé coming is good for LaLiga”

Almost 20 years ago he won and scored a goal against Zidane, Figo, Guti, Raúl … in his debut against Madrid.

You are right. It was almost my debut in the First Division, my second goal in the category, my first game against a Madrid full of stars … 20 years have passed and you forget many things, but things like that, no.

What does this Betis have to do to beat Madrid again now?

Football has changed a lot in all this time, but we are a very competitive team, we can hurt anyone. We are going to have our fans on the pitch and playing against Real Madrid is always a plus.

You like this kind of game.

Yes, I do not deny it. I love playing against these big, star-studded teams. One is no longer 20 years old and it costs twice as much but, without belittling anyone, when you play against rivals like this, your adrenaline, your concentration and your desire to be better rises. That motivation is special.

Do you see the whites, now without Ramos or Varane, more 'biscuits'?
No, I don't think Madrid has been devalued. These teams are very powerful, they reinvent themselves and have such quality that they supplement it with something else.

But better that Mbappé is not yet. What do you think of your arrival at LaLiga?
The best in the world have always wanted to come to Spain and that has identified us in some way. That Mbappé is there is important for LaLiga. Very good.

Has the championship been devalued with the departure of Ramos or Messi?
Sergio, Messi and Cristiano have been the best in world football. But life goes on, Spanish football continues to have great players and teams, we are still a benchmark. Not only because of the footballers, but because of the atmosphere, the joy with which we play … We are different.

He lived it closer to Ramos. You have a good relationship with the camero.
What no one will ever be able to discuss with Sergio is his professionalism and his love for Real Madrid. It has been one of the most important pieces for the club in the last decade. And we all have to thank him for what he has done for football, in general. Nobody is essential and now PSG will enjoy it.

They remain Benzema, Bale, Eden Hazard …
They are great players. But I am in love with Isco. I love those “pinch” footballers, as they say in bullfighting. Unfortunately he has not been able to enjoy everything he would have wanted in recent years. I coincided with him at Valencia and Malaga, I fall in love with him when I see him play.

And Vinicius? Last year that video of his saying about the Brazilian was leaked ‘It’s very bad, he doesn’t put it in …'
I said it because I didn't score a goal for anyone, not because it was bad, far from it. Maybe now they don't believe me, but I think he has a great projection and is gaining that scorer facet that was what was criticized him. He makes a difference and that is why he plays for Real Madrid.

Has Joaquín fulfilled his football dreams?

Many of my dreams have been fulfilled, not all. In the end, one never ends dreaming because if dreams end, how sad, right? I am satisfied with my career. But you keep dreaming.

Was playing for Real Madrid a dream?

Yes, because I have had the opportunity, everyone knows it. It was one of the dreams that arose and could have been but it was not and it was not fulfilled. But I prefer to think about everything that football has given me, which is a lot.

Is he still, as a young man, something 'meringón'?

No the truth is no. The sympathy always remains, not because I was a merengón, but because I like to watch Madrid, Barça, Atlético in football terms … For many years my heart belongs totally to Real Betis Balompié.

This year you are playing less, you almost always come out at the end of matches, and practically as a forward.

I am not having the minutes I would like, but at this point in my career I try to take advantage of what they give me. Still, I want to play, because otherwise I would not continue to be a footballer. Now it's my turn to get into the second half, help the team and enjoy. I try to be closer to the area where danger is created, where goals can be scored. I no longer have the physique of 20 years ago and I try to make those meters smaller.

Well, he looks thinner and stronger than ever.

And stiffer (laughs) I have been lucky not to suffer serious injuries in my career and maybe it has helped me to reach 40. But I am thinner and stronger for the fuck … Because if not, it won't work for me.

Do you sometimes feel like 'the father' of so many youth soccer player that this Betis has? Rodri, Rober …

… Edgar, Calderón, Paul and those who come. Betis has to be a youth club. When we have had many players from our roots, good things have been achieved. I come from there and I was able to get to the first team, enter the Champions League and win a title, the Cup. Today the demand is perhaps double that of 20 years ago but they come much more prepared, more professionalized and we instill in them what it means to be a footballer of Betis.

Do you get a joke from your teammates, or your rivals, because of your age?

No, they are not joking with my age. They respect me. With some joke than another but with a lot of affection and tremendous admiration. Every game I have to give three or four shirts and that is a huge satisfaction. Something good I have had to do during these more than 20 years.

Do you think that other facet of 'joke counter' has taken its toll on your career as a footballer?

If it has taken its toll, it has been for good and bad. But I can't hide who I am or how I got here. I do not pretend that everyone feels identified with me, but that is my way of living and conceiving football. That does not make me less professional, there are the years that I have been in this. I think my career speaks for me.

And now he combines football with a talk show, Finetwork, with Romay. Anyone who you would like to interview?

Well, Gordillo, but I have him there by my side. It is easier. And to Don Manuel Ruiz de Lopera. He's been retired for too long, but I'd like to have a chat with him. It would go down in history. Let's see if you want to take a while, because it is part of that Betis and its time will remain there. He was a very important pillar and that cannot be forgotten.

Besides being a presenter, will you continue to be linked to football?

Well, Betis has made a brutal change, but there is a lot of room for improvement and I would like to help with my experience and my sports knowledge. I don't see myself as a coach, at least to this day.

Is there any option that in the month of May Joaquín will surprise us and tell us: “Well, no, I'm not retiring”?

Buff. I know the focus that I have to give to my career, even if I want to play on a day-to-day basis. My idea is to retire this year, make it the last … If I feel important like in recent years, with goals and assists, it will be seen. But it is difficult to give that surprise.