He considers it a luxury to be able to walk through 'La Consha' -as he himself pronounces- with his partner, with whom he lives in the center of Donostia. Carlos Fernández (Castilleja de Guzmán, 1996) sees a long and promising future, full of successes at Real Sociedad, with which he signed until 2027 in January. ‘Quillo’ is called by some wardrobe colleagues as ‘revenge’ for the expression that he sometimes uses to ask for the leather in training.
He was able to come back against Madrid. First of all, how are you feeling?
I am much better. The discomfort that I had the previous weeks have disappeared. I came lacking rhythm and had a hamstring contracture. I'm very happy, I'm feeling good again.
Imanol said that he could not contain his desire and energy and that led him to injure himself, is that correct?
In the end, you want to get into a new place, something unknown, people like you. And many times you are overexcited at the level of efforts. And these things appear. But I am already settled, I have solved everything extra sports. I am enjoying this process. I'm happy because what I wanted was given. I'm really looking forward to getting into physical shape and contributing. That's the mindset.
How did you experience not being able to play at Old Trafford?
It was hard. I suffered a lot at home seeing the effort of my colleagues. I had a hard time, really.
How did you fall in the locker room?
I think good. I am a pretty normal wardrobe kid and I have found a group with a very good human quality. Everyone tried to help me from the first moment and I try to add on and off the field.
Is it easier to get into a locker room like this, with young people, most of the land?
I have not felt complicated. There are many young people and some of them I already knew from the lower categories of the national team. There is a more veteran group of people, who are wonderful, of a sensational human quality. They are humble people and there is a very healthy day to day. And there I include the utility man, the cook, the laundry man … everyone.
Isak is one of the fittest forwards in Europe; that's not bad for me; he will demand and squeeze me more
To Isak, your maximum competitor, the goals fall out of his pockets, how do you see it?
For the team, wonderful. We all benefit from their level. The idea is to get better every day and be prepared for when it touches me. Isak is one of the fittest strikers in Europe, he's in a sensational moment and I'm happy. That is not bad for me in my process. Upside down. That is going to demand and squeeze me more. In this way, the team will benefit, which is the important thing. And there is also Bautista, who I like a lot.
Should it be Isak or Carlos or could it be Isak and Carlos?
That's for Imanol. We are different and compatible forwards. We can understand each other well, we already did it in the last minutes of Villarreal.
What is your differential factor with the rest of attackers?
I don't know what to tell you, maybe the aggressiveness to reach the finishing areas.
I wanted to be from the Real for a long time; It is the ideal place for me to improve and offer my best performance
Was signing for seven and a half years required by the club or a proposal from the player?
It was an agreement between the two parties. It is such a beautiful and exciting project from the present, that it can even be perfected over time. It is necessary to try that these parties like the one of the United are more frequent in the future. I hope that a final is not something specific. The idea of the club is that and that has been demonstrated in recent years. The present and the future of the Real are very beautiful.
For all these reasons, can the Real be the sports ceiling of a projection player like you?
Any player would tell you that the highest ambition is to always keep improving. I was clear that my next step had to be the Real one because we believed that it was the best place for me to improve. My idea is to continue growing to offer my best performance for Real Sociedad. I wanted to be from La Real for a long time.
What does it represent to wear the '9' of the Real?
It is very beautiful and requires me. In this club that number has been worn by players who have given great performance. He hadn't worn it for a long time. The Depor was only free on '18' because I arrived on the last day of the market.
My family is very humble, but they never thought that I had to take the chestnuts out of the fire for them. That's crazy
Reviewing his career, he started very early at Sevilla …
I entered the Sevilla quarry when I was nine years old. And at 17 I made my debut in the first team with Emery against Real. There were Griezmann, Vela … and Ansotegi, who is now my coach. And there I entered a complicated injury process, a lot was demanded of me when I had neither matured nor understood many facets of the game. In football there is no longer any patience. Then the two assignments were the ones that have driven me in my career. They allowed me to grow because in my club there was no room for youth players.
In those early days the figure of his mother stands out, why?
During 16 years that I threw myself in the quarry of Seville, my mother had to take me to train because my father worked. He came to pick me up at school and had to spend the whole afternoon in the sports complex. It was cold, hot, bored… so I could do what I liked the most. And that football was not their priority, since they forced me to study along the way. That pressure that I now see in some parents for their children to be footballers did not exist in my case. My family is very humble, but they never thought that I had to be the one to take the chestnuts out of the fire. That's crazy about kids.
The ambition of any player is to win titles. And La Real has shown the ability to reach the finals and be close
How do you summarize the stage at Depor?
I went from being at Sevilla, where I was the promising youth squad, to a team where they demanded an immediate performance from me. He had gone down and needed to go back to First. It was the best decision I could make. I was helped by colleagues with a lot of experience.
And what does Granada stay with?
It was my stepping stone. Another success. It was the ideal place to take the next step and continue growing. An incredible, wonderful, outstanding season of a newly promoted who managed to get into Europe and reached the Cup semi-finals. The collective worked and everyone, including me, raised their value.
And now the Real, is there an option to relive part of the glory of the 80s?
The ambition of any player is to win titles. And La Real has shown the ability to reach the finals and be close to those titles. But to reach them, you have to win games like the one on Sunday against Levante.
Have you seen yourself lifting the Cup?
Yes, I have. Raising the Cup in my city would be wonderful. Last year I reached the semifinals and Real has given me the opportunity to play the final.
But without an audience …
It's a shame, a force majeure situation prevents you. La Real has not played a final for 33 years and that the fans cannot enjoy it in the first person is sad. But they will enjoy it if we bring the Cup.
The perimeter closure is maintained, but if they open the field, could you gather a squad there to cheer on the Real?
If they let me, I can get you a lot of people there (laughs). A few rows would be from the Real.
In the League, is aspiring to be fourth be too ambitious or is being fifth good?
I don't like to talk before things happen. As long as there are points, it is game, of course a Champions place is possible.
Imanol is helping me a lot; for me it is vital that the captain of the boat has that connection with the player
What have you found in Imanol?
He is a super demanding coach on the field and in training sessions, he pushes you to get your best level. And he's also a sensational guy on a day-to-day basis, very close to the footballer, he talks to everyone, he comes to the gym to be with you… You can talk about anything with him. For me it is vital that the captain of the boat has that connection with the player. It is helping me a lot. He cares about how I am doing on a sporting and personal level.
What happened to Bordalás? Was she hot because of what had happened in Seville?
No way. Nothing to do with Seville. It's because of me. Nothing happened either. Each one defends his own. I went out to defend Barrene. Things that happen in the field, that stay in the field. I don't give it more importance. Bordalás is sure not either.