Juanfran Moreno: “In Turkey I have fun and on top of that they pay me”

September 28, 2019 was forever etched in the memory of Juanfran Brown (Madrid, 1988). The Madrid full-back, who had signed for Turkish Alanyaspor a few months earlier, shattered his knee in a clash against Sivasspor. At first he tried to rejoin, but after taking a few steps he realized that his body had just said enough. It took two long weeks before he was able to enter the operating room. He set himself the goal of recovering in record time and after four months he was ready to go back to dressing in shorts. He came back, and in what way. Juanfran reached the best level of his career in 2020. He is currently the best full-back in the Süper Lig, where he feels “valued and important”. “Now I go out to the field to enjoy. If I had a mistake before, I spent the whole week thinking about it”, reflects from Alanya, the Marbella of Turkey.

How would you define your 2020?

For me, football was a dream year. In 2019 I blew my knee. I broke my cruciate ligament, the lateral lateral one, the hamstring tendon, the popliteum … All in the same action. I went into the operating room and when I came out the doctor told me that I would be out for nine months, but I returned to play after four months and 15 days. The pandemic gave me more time to recover, but since football returned to Turkey I have played every game. I am a recognized player, since I arrived I have been highly valued, both at the club and in the league, and that has made 2020 a very good year. We reached the Cup final, we played the previous phase of the Europa League … I did not expect to fight for anything when I signed for Alanyaspor because it is a team without much history, but we have formed a great team.

How does Juanfran Moreno end up in Turkey?

The truth is that I had been receiving offers from Turkish teams for four years. Alanyaspor had already made me a proposal before I went to Leganés, but Mauricio (Pellegrino) called me and I thought it was an exciting project, although in the end nothing went as expected. I had options to continue in First, but Alanyaspor continued to insist. It seemed like my team because he asked about me every week. I spoke with my wife and we decided to get to know a culture different from Spanish. And, the truth is, we got it right. Alanya is a wonderful place. Now I am grateful that this opportunity was presented to me. After six games I burst my knee, but I have returned with strength and I feel better than ever. It is being wonderful to play away from Spain.

Let's go to the time of injury. Did you think it could be serious at first? He tried to keep playing …

It's just that I'm a little crazy. I'm a buzzard. I didn't notice any clicks. Just a very big tension, like my hamstring had been stretched a lot. And in the knee I didn't notice anything. I had never had an injury like this and when I woke up, I didn't know what was happening to me. I wasn't in a lot of pain, so I stood up. I noticed that my quadriceps was failing, that it did not activate, and I began to hit myself as if to say: 'Come on, activate'. I took a step and wanted to continue. I am very donkey. But I already felt that my knee was coming out from behind. It was an incredible feeling, as if it came out of my twin. And I already realized that I could not continue playing. I went from the field to the lame leg because I did not want to have my image leaving a field on a stretcher. I hope to finish my career without having to leave any field on a stretcher. I wanted to cry, but clenched my teeth and limped into the locker room. When I arrived I knew that something serious was happening to me because I could not stand up.

Tell me about recovery.

The most difficult thing was to return to Spain. Catching the plane was a super unpleasant experience. We had to leave two days later, at 4 in the morning. 15 hours of wheelchair travel. My wife with the suitcases, I with the chair and pushing my daughter's stroller … It was a very hard experience, but I was always very optimistic. I went to have an operation with the magician Cugat. I did 11 days of rehab before going into the operating room. I asked him, 'What is the fastest recovery record?' He told me that Xavi had recovered in four months and I told him that my goal was to overcome him. I stopped my life for several months in which I focused solely on recovery. I rented an apartment in front of the hospital and went morning and afternoon. I was lucky to meet wonderful people like the recuperators of the Cugat Institute, Miki and Albert. Then I was in Seville for a month and after three months I returned to Turkey. The Alanyaspor doctors did not believe that he had arrived so well. They wouldn't let me train. I would start running and they would chase me to stop. I did some imprudence, but after four months I was already sitting on the bench ready to go in.

His life has changed a lot in a few months …

Very much. A year ago I had to beg my retriever to let me run for a minute on a treadmill. Everything hurt, but I celebrated it as if I had won the Champions League. And 12 months later I am the best right-back in the Süper Lig. It is clear that, in football, in a matter of minutes you go from being on top to being in shit, but if you are constant and work hard every day you can be on top again. Right now I feel privileged: I can stay for many years at Alanyaspor because I am highly valued and I could also leave because, thanks to my performance, I am receiving offers.

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Do you think you are going through the best moment of your career?

I think I have had two very good moments and this is one of them. I say this to Cugat, who seems that, in addition to a new ligament, he has put quality in my knee. I tell my wife that I should have played like this when I was 20 because things would have changed a lot. I know that I am the best right-back in the Süper Lig. It was hard for me to think that I would play at this level again, which is very high both offensively and defensively. I have a lot of responsibility and a lot of possibilities to do good things. I get 70 balls per game. I'm with the ball all the time. There are plays that I start in my own corner, I hit a wall and end up in the opposite corner with a cross. I'm enjoying it, something that I didn't do in Spain. There he fought every year not to descend and thus it is difficult to have a good time. The other great moment I had was with Garitano at Deportivo. When I was about to sign for Barça. That season I was the best right-back in LaLiga, but since I played for Depor, who fought not to be relegated, it was not so good to say it.

What is Alanyaspor's goal for this season?

For my taste, if we don't finish in the top three, the season is not going to be good. We are in a negative dynamic, but we are still very close to the top positions. We have a very serious team and a very marked football style. I would be surprised if I didn't finish in the top three, although the club's big goal is to get back into Europe. The objective is that, even if economically we are only the 11th best club in Turkey. That means we are performing above our means, but we have a very good team. Marafona is an incredible goalkeeper, we have Davison, talented people like Bakasetas … Another team that plays very well is Gaziantep. You can tell that, like us, he is going to death with his coach.

So one of his big goals for this year will be to play in Europe with Alanyaspor.

Yes, in 2021 I would like to play in Europe with Alanya. This year we played the qualifying round of the Europa League, which was the club's first time in its history, and we were eliminated in the third round. Only one game was played due to Covid-19, and I think that if it had been a round trip we would have passed. I am very sure. We went from 40 degrees in Alanya to 4 in Norway. It happened too fast for what it cost us to get in. In 2021 I ask that and cheers. I hope the injuries respect me because I am clear that another serious injury withdraws me. If I had another serious injury, I would put on the tracksuit and start training. I am 32 years old, I debuted at 19 and there comes a moment when a couple of hits in a row lead you to hang up your boots. If they respect me, I will play until I'm 40. I still have the illusion of playing in Spain again. Now I see it far away, but in the future it could happen.

Go back to Spain to play in Primera?

To play in the Depor. If I go back to Spain I would like him to go to play for Deportivo, I don't care if he is in Second B or Third. I want. I would like to return to A Coruña one day. I don't know if I will have time or if the opportunity will arise, but I left there almost accidentally, because I did not want to leave, and I would like to return. I wish things would have been different, because this year I would have loved to play in Second B. To enjoy and try to return Depor to the place where it deserves to be, which is the First Division. Coruña is a spectacular place. My daughter is from there and my wife and I were very happy. I will be back. To the grass or with the scarf to cheer, but I'll be back. The idea is to play many more years if the injuries respect me. I want people to say in the future: 'Look how that 40-year-old runs.'

The truth is that he has had offers to return to Spain.

I have had more offers now, recently recovered from a serious knee injury, than after finishing at Leganés, which was when I had to come to Turkey. Four days ago a LaLiga team called me, from the middle of the table. But Alanyaspor said he was untouchable. I finish my contract at the end of the season, but it is automatically renewed if I fulfill a series of objectives. I have spoken to the club and if all goes according to plan I will still be here. I would like. I feel valued and I am an important player. Better to be the head of a mouse than the tail of a lion. I'd rather be here enjoying myself than going to Spain to fight not to be relegated.

Enjoying in Turkey?

I have never enjoyed playing soccer so much. And the best: I had never gone out to the field always to win. In Spain many times I heard that 'one point is worth'. That message that pissed me off. I can not with him. That game you lose for sure. In Turkey we always go out to win. And when the season is over I'll be able to make an album with all the ideal eleven's I've been on. I'm an outstanding player and that's cool. So much! It's fun. If you stand out, it is because you do many things and that is what I want, to play to participate and have fun. Now I have fun, and on top of that they pay me. There are times when you get paid, but you don't have fun. You suffer a lot and you have a very bad time. When things do not go well in a place that you are very fond of, as it happened to me in my last year in A Coruña, you suffer a lot. I loved living there, in fact I think it is the ideal place to raise my daughter, but I could not go outside.

Has the injury changed your thinking?

When you have your birthday you start to win the psychological battle. My big change has been that. During the injury I realized what is really important. Now I go out to the field to enjoy, and if I have a mistake I know that in a few seconds I will have the opportunity to do better. If I had a mistake before, I would spend the whole week thinking about it. There came a time when he played not to fail. Now I go out and enjoy myself. It is done. I will try to be right, but I will not limit myself to not fail. I have come across people with incredible conditions. You saw them train and you said: 'Great player'. But then the game came and nothing. You think: 'This player is in training because he loses the psychological battle.' My great victory has been that, winning that battle. The confidence I have in myself now is enormous. Put Neymar in front of me, I don't have any kind of problem. That's the way I think. But that thought I have not always had.

You have mentioned your almost signing for Barça before, is it something you think about a lot?

Well, it was a situation that I had a hard time assimilating. It was actually surreal. My agent called me and told me that there was a possibility of signing for Barça. I knew I was playing well, but I don't know if I like to go to Barça. They told me that Robert Fernández, who was the sports director of Barcelona, ​​was going to see me at a Deportivo-Alavés. I took it as a joke, but I looked at the box and there he was. There I thought: 'Watch out.' The truth is that I did a great game, but in the end it didn't happen. It would have been an incredible opportunity. Braithwaite got it and I didn't, but I don't hold a grudge against anyone. I was also close to signing for a Champions League team, but the coach changed and the new one no longer loved me. I have many stories to tell. Some still cannot be counted and others I am going to reserve so as not to look bad with anyone. When I retire, since everything will not matter to me, I will take out a book that is going to have many sales because I am going to leave someone a little marked. But I'm happy with my career, huh. My parents have a better life than they did and I wake up every day thanking the ball. Everything he has given me has been incredible.

Who has been the best coach you have ever had?

I could not tell you just one, but I would stay with Alberto Toril and Gaizka Garitano. Toril for the moment that was my career. He was in full training and he helped me polish many things. I have a great friendship with him and in terms of tactical concepts he is an incredible coach. Garitano … I still don't believe he was fired from Athletic. He was the one who got the most performance out of me in the First Division and the one who believed the most in my conditions. He called me to go back to Depor, he told me what he wanted from me and then that was what he asked me to do. There are other coaches who tell you the same thing and then put someone else on. I don't think there is a bad coach in First. You have to do things very well, as a player or as a coach. Nobody is given anything, and less in football. But there are people with whom you have more or less affinity. For example, Víctor Fernández gave me his confidence from the first to the last day. And Pepe Mel was the one who took me to First. I will be grateful to him for life. He is like a father to me. We were always fighting, but most of the time he was the one who was right. But Gaizka is Gaizka. When they fired him from Athletic I told him: 'Look on the positive side, if you go to another team you can sign me. Don't forget your right back. ' There are only two places that I would go for the minimum: Depor and with Gaizka.

What is it like to live in Alanya?

Amazing. They say that Alanya is the Marbella of Turkey. The site is awesome. We live in front of the beach. The water is not cold and if I wanted, I could take a bath right now. My wife and I bought some bicycles and went for a walk on the beach as if we were the ones from Verano Azul. I train in the afternoons, but we make the most of the morning. We had our coffee looking at the sea, all day in the sun … Now because I have shaved, but with a beard I look Turkish. The city is very good to live. On top it has a mountain. And we have an airport. Istanbul is one hour away by plane. I would tell a lot of players to come here, but I don't want competition either.