Dani Parejo (Coslada, 1989) is also mentioned in history, like Villarreal. The midfielder will pull gallons so that the Submarine does not shrink in Turin. Personality and football has plenty. In addition, he blindly trusts his team and knocking down a giant like Juve.
With 14 years as a professional in tow, are these games still special?
Champions League matches are always special, you are excited to play. Participating in any Champions League match is special, but it is true that if you advance in the competition it is even more so. They are special matches because of the atmosphere, the preview, the people… They are unique environments and unforgettable nights.
Is it like being a kid again?
Whenever you face a game of these you do it with that tingling in the stomach that you had as a child. Those games in which you couldn’t sleep because of the desire and the nerves. They make you feel special things.
How do you face these games with experience?
My sensations are that I enjoy it more at 32 than at 20. Now you live it more intensely. When you understand and control the game, you have the option of things happening and provoking them. The enjoyment is much greater.
Well, you are one of those who make things happen in your team…
The truth is that I play in a position that makes me happy. I like to understand and enjoy the game, I like to be in contact with the ball and be able to make decisions in the game. Since I’ve arrived I feel important and very comfortable, both at the club and on the pitch. We have a style and an idea that I like, it makes me enjoy. A way of playing that tries to be the protagonist and that game idea suits me very well.
Are you one of those who play games in your head before doing it on the pitch?
I think about the parties. I like to play them and think about them before facing them. I am passionate about football, I am a bit crazy about it and I like to think what can happen and how to deal with what happens. It is good for me to think about the party and its alternatives. I like to make a sketch of what can happen in my head. It is good for me to have an idea of what I should do. It is as if you had lived it and you already have options and alternatives in your head.
What match are you waiting for?
I expect a game in which Juventus must and will come out looking for us. They play at home, they are in the round of 16 and they are great. I think they are going to be aggressive and intense. I am clear that the first few minutes are going to come out very strongly. They are going to try to squeeze with their people and be intense to make us nervous and if they can score a goal. But in the long run I expect a very even game. They are good, but I trust the team and my teammates a lot. I am optimistic. They are favourites, but I have a lot of faith in us.
It will be key not to lower your arms and compete no matter what happens…
Within a match there are many moments and mini matches within it. One play changes the game, so you always have to be on the inside mentally. You have to hold on to the match no matter what. Look at the first leg, they scored in the first minute and it changed everything. We have to be prepared physically and, above all, mentally for what may happen. We play it in a game, it’s a final and we have to win the game or go to penalties. It is a game in which you have to be very strong mentally.
How does Vlahovic stand up?
He is a player who I think has cost 70 million, a player who makes the difference in the most important thing: the goal. At Fiorentina he was already the top scorer, in a team that was not one of the leaders. His numbers in recent years are very good, for me he is one of the four or five best strikers in the world. Stopping it is a challenge for us and for our defense, a great challenge. But the Champions is this. They have great players, we have a team.
Dani Parejo poses for AS before visiting Turin.
ANGEL SANCHEZ (DIARIO AS)
How do they get in the mood?
We come to this game at a good time for the team. We have had a difficult run at the beginning of the season, as we had injuries and Covid, which has caused us to have moments of difficulty. But we have all been here for a month, almost all of us are fine, and I think we are in the best moment and with important regularity.
You arrive on a roll after scoring against Juve and Celta. Will he score in Turin?
Hopefully, my idea is to seek help in the area. It is true that the coach always asks us to read the game and take advantage of the possibilities, it is what he always tried. In recent games I have been lucky enough to appear and be seen, although other times you appear more and better, but they don’t see you and they don’t pass it to you. I like to see football face to face and be able to appear in the area.
This is a tie that would have a special dedication…
This is a special game because of the issue of José Manuel and Alberto, for the team it would be very special to be able to dedicate the victory and the pass to them. In Alberto’s case, it is a blow that it happened to him twice in such a short time. But above all there is the case of José Manuel, who is someone very important in the club and in the dressing room, he is a great person and we all have great affection for him. I’ve been here for two years and in the short time I’ve been here I’ve seen that everyone loves him, everyone at Villarreal speaks of him with great affection and above all with great respect. All of us here know that he is always with the team, and even more so in bad times. In the complicated he is always there to help us and give us strength. And for that, the team wants to dedicate it to him.