Delusion. It’s the word you repeat over and over again Ibai Gómez (Bilbao, 1989). The Basque, who has gone 10 months without wearing shorts in an official match, faces a month of April in which he will play six highly demanding matches in just 19 days. He will do it wearing the shirt of the Foolad FC. After turning down countless offers, Ibai found everything he was looking for at the Iranian club. “It’s abroad and it’s a short time, so I can test what it’s like to be outside my comfort zone. I’ve never left there and being able to try it for the future is a great opportunity. Also, I’m going to play the highest competition in Asia. I am very happy with the decision I have made, “he discovers in AS shortly before traveling to Saudi Arabia, the venue for some matches in which Al-Gharafa (Qatar), Al Shabab (United Arab Emirates) and Ahal ( Turkmenistan).
“I had lost hope and I feel very fortunate to have been able to make the decision to stop. It’s not easy, but sometimes it’s necessary”
Ibai Gomez
Ibai Gómez has not played since May 2021, but he is “physically very well”. “I have done specific work to improve and I have trained with Santutxu, the club where I started, to have contact with the ball”, discovers the Basque, who did not stay out of the competition due to the lack of offers: “When I terminated with Athletic I realized that my problem was me. Mentally I was not well and when my head does not work what happened to me in the last few months happens, that I was not feeling well. I had lost hope and I feel very lucky to have able to make the decision to stop. It is not easy, but sometimes it is necessary. Offers came to me, but I always gave more importance to the cons than to the pros. That’s why I realized that I was not well and I needed to heal”. Ibai Gómez took refuge in the family and dedicated time to himself, which helped him land in Iran “with the energy of a 20-year-old boy”.
In Ahvaz, a city bathed by the waters of the Karún river where more than a million people live, Ibai Gómez has met a coach whom he knew from his time as a footballer in Osasuna. Javad Nekounam He directs the Foolad and has two physical trainers from Pamplona on his staff: Josu Sesma and Daniel Lanz. “It helps, really. Because there are only a couple of players who speak English and I don’t know much about it. They can be calling me everything because I have no idea what they say“, jokes an Ibai grateful for the reception from the club and the fans: “I want to feel like a footballer again and enjoy and it helps that there is enthusiasm, both on my part and on that of the Foolad and their fans. That makes you much more motivated. It is true that in Iran everything is very different and I think they still need to evolve much more, but these are things that do not depend on me. I hope that this opportunity will serve to grow both football and personally”.
Ibai Gómez was close to playing in Poland and was tempted by clubs from Portugal and the Spanish Second Division. “There were approaches and if it didn’t come up it was my fault. I always backed down because my head wasn’t right”, reveals the Basque, who dedicates himself to “training, training and training” and takes advantage of his free time to “make self-defined, read, watch series”. Also to soak up Asian football: “I had never seen an Asian Champions League match, but now I’m much more excited. I’m watching our games, our rivals’… I really like football and it’s also an opportunity to continue learning and discovering things. Ibai Gómez, who has two children and is expecting the third, spends the rest of her time “talking with the family because I miss them so much.” The Foolad player, whose matches can be seen in Spain through LaLiga Sports TV, is clear about his next goal: “Be first in the group”. Later he will see, although what is certain is that “I will continue playing for years.” With enthusiasm, of course.