Ledesma: “Cádiz demands suffering and not giving up”

Conan Ledesma (Pergamino, Argentina; 02/13/93, 29 years old) is the starting goalkeeper for Cádiz, arrived at the club last season and landed on his feet. Of course, he is always demanding with his performance and analyzes each section of the campaign to continue demanding the maximum. The goalkeeper was moved on the last day after beating Villarreal at the Nuevo Mirandilla stadiuma victory that saw Cádiz leave the relegation zone and relieved the squad of pressure: “I owe it to football and today to Cádiz,” Conan said in an interview with AS. Below is the first part of the interview. The second will be available tomorrow.

Very important victory against Villarreal.

It crowns a little everything we are doing during the week and since the start of the championship, which implies a lot of sacrifice. This victory was very important for us and for the fans because we see each other for the first time out of relegation.

Also leaving the door clean, which for a goalkeeper is always important.

It’s always important, for me it has a special seasoning, but it’s important for the whole team to finish with a clean sheet. And not only that, Villarreal did not create chances to intimidate that clean sheet.

After the game, a very emotional image of him was left emotional.

We are human beings and we feel. For me it’s not just playing football. It is a sport that I love and I have done it since I was very young. I always have a very big commitment with the shirt I wear. I owe myself to the moments and I feel them with a lot of passion because I owe myself to football and today to Cádiz.

Was a lot of pressure released with that victory that meant getting out of relegation?

As it is. We played with the results of the other games and we knew that the victory could put us out of relegation for two weeks, which is what we had been looking for and working with a lot of sacrifice for a long time. That victory was very significant for us.

Two consecutive victories at home, the team took a weight off their shoulders and I hope it continues like this.

We had that debt. I think we were the only team that hadn’t won at home since the start of the championship. We were able to pull it off the previous day at home and we repeated it last day. In the situation we are in, with our local people, we always have to get the three points. We are focused on that, on always getting the three points at home.

The arrival of Sergio González seemed to be a shock to the squad.

Yes, we adapt a lot to your idea. Since he came we have only had two defeats and one I think was a bit unfair, but very good. He brought new, fresh ideas and the team has adapted quickly. We are now seeing the results.

Sergio has returned to training at the Nuevo Mirandilla and on Thursday he organized a match between the first team and the subsidiary. It’s profitable?

Once a week we train in the stadium and that’s good because before we only went to play on game day and if we go there we get to know the field more and more. You know more about the dimensions, you guide yourself through the stands… it changes everything a little bit of perspective. It is a very good idea from Sergio that is doing us good.

And yes, to continue motivating the squad, adding minutes and the idea of ​​the game, they played a match against Cádiz B. For them it is always nice to face the first team. It is enjoyed a lot. Obviously at first you feel a bit intimidated by the presence of players who have more experience, but it’s always good to have them around, to see them… because you learn from them not only on television, but also by competing against them and measuring your level. In addition, he does a unification of work in the club that is great.

We always talk about the team’s coach, but since we’re with you, how is Lolo Bocardo as a goalkeeping coach?

Lolo is a ‘hard worker’ as they say here. He has been at Cádiz for many years and he earned his space. He has been doing very well and not because he wants it, but because he is clear, he achieved a lot with Cádiz, he got promotions, staying in the First Division. I am not speaking for myself, but for goalkeepers that I have seen before at Cádiz and they were all of a very good level and that speaks well of the level of training that Lolo gives you. In addition, he has a very affectionate way of being with the player, he understands him a lot, in this case the goalkeeper, and that makes your confidence good. Our position is very mental and that confidence that he brings is good.

The goalkeepers psychologically have to be very good, they are the last link in the team and they are ‘alone’ in the face of danger.

We are the last link that cannot be wrong because the mistake leads to a defeat or a goal and is penalized much more than the rest. Lolo is also part of those mistakes, she takes responsibility and feels that way. Empathizing as Lolo does with us makes the work environment fantastic.

Does this Cadiz feel powerful and capable of beating any rival?

It clearly feels confident and many aspects have been improved. She feels that with her work she can achieve the goal of keeping us in First Division and she feels that she can beat anyone because she has already shown it and has done very well. Cádiz is a team that demands suffering, being one hundred percent focused and not giving up. That’s where we are.

The arbitration actions in the matches of recent days have also hurt Cádiz.

It has done a little damage, but to talk about the arbitrations that have already passed and points that are not going to come back or impact our numbers would be fart, as we say in Argentina.

Have you come to understand the penalties that were pointed out to you against Mallorca and Celta?

The truth is that no, but hey, they are arbitration decisions, arbitration decisions. At the time I said it, I was very clear and I don’t want to put more emphasis on something that has already happened and that they are not going to return the points or change the decision by the referee, so we have to look forward and leave that behind.

The million dollar question, does Conan like VAR?

The VAR brought a fair solution, to say if it is a legitimate goal or not. It is important that football advances with this VAR technology. I don’t know if the application is the best, because I really don’t know, but I trust that it will improve and that the failures will only be anecdotal.

On a personal note, how is this season?

Well. Doing an analysis of what I’ve been through this season and compared to last season, I feel calmer and more planted, although there are still very important dates for us, but so far I feel very good weighing the last two seasons .

And how was that first season at Cádiz?

Uff, well, a host of sensations because it was all new and I hadn’t competed for seven months due to the pandemic and I had the issue of adaptation, but I think I had very good moments, also a bump, then a second round start with a low level and there I thank Lolo and my teammates who benched me and I ended up on a good line. The first season was very varied. Happy for what I was experiencing, but I self-analyzed myself for my performance and for having a more regular line and not so up and down.

Is Conan happy in Cadiz?

Clearly! Despite the situation we are experiencing in great pain, because seeing each other down there hurts us a lot, we are all very happy to be in this club, where we have fun and enjoy ourselves a lot. That is the essence of this Cádiz.

At first it must not have been easy to change country.

There is always an adaptation to leaving your friends, family… coming alone at first and then my wife and daughters arrived. It’s a change. It is the same language and most Argentines are descendants of Spanish or Italians, but we are still very far from our loved ones and it hurts us. It is another culture.

Also, I understand that when your family arrived in Cádiz, you were with the national team.

Just when they came to Spain, they took me for 15 days in Argentina. We passed through the air (jokes).