Javier Olaizola (Lasarte, 1969) has the “broken heart” between the Eibar and the Majorca, his two exequipos, which will meet on Saturday (13 hours) in Ipurua for the first time in the First Division. The former defender – elected in the best eleven of the 75-year history of the Barça club -, who he was a Majorcan captain and also his coach, he hopes that his two previous sets achieve permanence in the highest category. He is the current technician of Getxo Sands, Biscayan club of Second B, since last summer. Lives in Saint Sebastian, from where you travel daily to Bizkaia.
– Eibar and Mallorca face on Saturday. How do you see the game of your two former teams?
– Very competitive, because the two are in a complicated situation. Although Eibar is better, because it adds 5 points more than Mallorca, which is what marks the relegation places. Mallorca comes from losing in Son Moix (0-1) with Getafe, while Eibar has won Levante (3-0) in Ipurua.
– Permanence is at stake. Mallorca, a newly promoted, if he wins, would approach the eibarreses. If Eibar wins, it would move away from a direct rival.
– They are two rivals who are fighting not to descend. Mallorca is the third by the tail; if he wins in Ipurua he would approach Eibar, and would be close to leaving the relegation places, although Celta is ahead. If Eibar wins Mallorca, it would take a giant step to achieve permanence.
– Mallorca has improved somewhat as a visitor, but has not yet won as a visitor.
– Mallorca's handicap is that it has only added 2 points, 2 draws with Celta, and Betis. It is a poor baggage at home to be able to achieve a goal such as permanence.
– Mallorca is usually good at Ipurua, where he has won many times in the Second Division, some with Olaizola as a footballer. What do you remember about those matches?
– I had coaches (Víctor Muñoz and José Manuel Esnal 'Mané') who told us that the team that won in Ipurua had great chances of getting promoted to Primera, since they understood that winning there was very complicated. Now it is still a very difficult field, since Eibar is a team well worked by its coach, Mendilibar. His game is strong, powerful, he presses very well. Winning in Ipurua is very complicated for rivals.
– He played at two different times at Eibar (seasons 1991-1992 and 1994-1995), which was a 'springboard' for Olaizola and many other players.
– The two teams of my life that I have engraved in my heart are Eibar and Mallorca. Eibar because it gave me the possibility to play twice and then sign for more powerful clubs; For that I will always be grateful. In Ipurua we all formed a great family, managers, players and technicians. And Mallorca was where I established myself as a player and where I achieved the most important successes of my football life (promotion to Primera in 1997, the Spanish Super Cup in 1998, a runner-up of the European Cup Winners Cup in 1998, and a Copa del Rey in 2002-2003).
– How times change! He made his first debut with Real Burgos (1992-1993) – he also performed at El Plantío in 1993-1994 in Second -, and now a Burgos team is in Second B facing the Sands he trains. Instead, Eibar militates in First.
– Eibar has been doing better and better management and that has allowed it to reach the highest level, which in its day was difficult to dream of being in First. But not only has he achieved it, but it has remained, because some thought that he was going to be in the top category for a short time. I hope it goes on for many years. In Burgos the opposite has been the case, since the club was poorly managed in the 90s. The players then had problems charging. When you do things wrong, you end up in failure. That happened to Burgos.
– Did you ever dream that Eibar was going to play in Primera?
– Dreaming yes, but it was complicated that in modern football, where so much money moves between clubs, Eibar will reach the league of stars. In addition, thanks to Mendilibar he has been in Primera for many years, and in previous seasons he has enjoyed options to play European competition. It is a brutal success.
– As a coach, how do you rate Mendilibar at Eibar?
– Mendilibar is the great architect that Eibar has been in the elite for so many years. I am his number one fan, for the values he instills, for the way he works and for how his teams compete. For me Mendilibar is one of the best coaches in Spain.
AIOL (DAILY AS)
– In his last season as a footballer and captain of Mallorca, 2003-2004, he coincided with Iván Ramis, who, at 19, alternated the subsidiary and the first Mallorcan team. What can you say about Ramis, current Eibar captain?
– It was already seen that Ramis, from a very young age, had many faculties. Everyone assumed that he would succeed in the world of football, as he has achieved. Even now, who is 35 years old, it shows when he plays and the defensive strength he gives the team.
– Olaizola retired with 34 years as captain of Mallorca for the injuries, which are now harming Ramis, who is similar in age when he 'hung up his boots'.
– I had never been injured during my career, but I had to retire because in a year and a half my two knees were broken, one in Riazor and another in Mestalla. Then I could no longer continue in elite football. Iván Ramis does not have injuries as serious as I had, so I am optimistic and I think he will recover from his knee injury, in which he has undergone an arthroscopy to clean adhesions. I am convinced that he has one more year left in the elite. I usually see him from time to time in San Sebastián and sometimes we have spoken.
– From your experience, would you recommend Ramis to become a coach when he leaves football?
– I would recommend Ramis to be a second coach, because he suffers a lot from first coach. It has nothing to do with the football career of a player than that of a coach. The distribution of responsibilities among soccer players is between 25. There is always a person who has more responsibility, who is the coach. A player starts thinking about the next game on Thursday, or Friday, or even the day before. However, when the coach finishes an encounter, he is already thinking about the next one. It is a beautiful race, for those who like football. But it also involves a lot of suffering constantly.
– Before, Basque players were quoted and, now, also coaches, such as Mendilibar, Valverde, Emery, Jagoba Arrasate, Gaizka Garitano, Asier Garitano, Imanol Alguacil, Antoni Iraola …
– The Basque character is a winner, 100% competitive. That has been demonstrated before in the teams that had Basque players and, now, they are seeing Basque coaches. We have defined characteristics that are not the same in other communities. And that's why those technicians are triumphing.
– Do you see yourself training in Primera, after doing it in Second in Mallorca at two different times, in May 2014 and December 2016?
– The illusion of a coach is always to progress and improve. I am focusing on my work in Arenas. We are struggling and suffering a lot to try to achieve permanence in Second B. But for any professional, their illusion is to train in the highest category.
– How many current footballers of Eibar or Mallorca have you trained?
– In the first team of Mallorca, to Lago Junior (former Barca player), Baba, Joan Sastre, Raíllo, in my second time there. Lago Junior has many virtues to play in the highest category, it has cost him, but football has put him where he deserves, in First. I also directed Sergi Enrich in the youth Mallorca, and Pedro Bigas in the first team.
– While an Eibarrés coach, Javier Mandiola 'Manix' trains Atlético Baleares in Segunda B, in the same category, Javier Olaizola, for 9 seasons, a footballer from Mallorca and a Majorcan coach, works outside the Balearic Islands, leading the Arenas. It could be the other way around. Is there no logic in football?
– In the world of coaches there is no logic, you have to 'take your bags' and go from here to there, where they want you and there is a good sports and economic proposal. 'Manix' is playing a great role in Atlético Baleares, with which he played last season's promotion phase to Segunda and, now, he is once again leading leader of his group. You have to fit in clubs where you can have successes.
– It is curious that Eibar has three Balearic footballers, Ramis, Sergi Enrich, and Pedro Bigas; while there is only one Basque-Navarre, Arbilla.
– Players also try to progress and improve. Both Sergi Enrich and Bigas, whom I trained in youth and the first team of Mallorca, respectively, and Ramis, who was my teammate in his footballing beginnings, are helping Eibar be year after year in First.
– What is your prognosis for the match and your heart with who goes?
– My heart is 'broken'. I want them both to win and not to descend. They are the two teams of my life. I can't make forecasts. If one wins, I will suffer for the one who has lost and I will rejoice for the one who has won.