“We want Puado to continue and he, too; it will not be a soap opera”

Of the season in Segunda, the philosophy of the sports area and the model implemented by his team and the Identity department spoke Francisco Joaquin Perez Rufete in the first chapter of his extensive interview with AS.

The ball goes down to the grass in this second and final delivery with the technical director of Espanyol to reel off the actuality with proper names, with the objectives in the return to First and to stop at the club's most precious asset, the quarry, as well as in the March of players to the eternal rival, Barcelona. “In Espanyol those who want to be there always triumph,” he says.

Do you see it feasible for players who have had a few minutes in the Second Division to get them in the First Division?

We must find situations for the players to play, and that the club does not lose the assets that we have invested. We will handle these types of situations for three months. Our work will be aimed at improving economically if any player has to leave, and that this enables us to go to the market.

One of those players with little participation has been Wu Lei …

We have to go towards competitiveness. Our players are the protagonists and must compete. Being a starter or substitute at Espanyol is just as expensive. Wu Lei may not have been statistically significant this year. He started very well but then the team won a lot and he was not among those who won. He trains very well, competes very well, and is part of this competitive project that we want to build. We have to be a very competitive team.

Are you planning to release Vadillo?

Vadillo would have liked to see him a lot more because he would have contributed to us, but when a team wins the substitute's difficulty is much greater. We have the possibility that he can continue or that he goes out to show what he has. It is a decision that we will make with the coach.

And Vargas?

Vargas is the club's heritage. If he stays, he has to take a step forward, I think now he is beginning to be prepared; And if it comes out, it is still a situation that you need to be able to have more minutes. He is a great footballer who unfortunately has lived through too complicated contexts for someone young like him, but he is going to be a player to be reckoned with.

What is the intention with Víctor Gómez?

We have a lot of competition. Omar played in the last day and players come from below pressing hard. I don't know if he will come to the preseason or will he want to leave, so I have to talk to him to see what his feelings are. You have to start deciding those kinds of things with the coach. He has had a great season, he is our player. Miguelón and Óscar Gil, too. The objective is to generate competition in each position, and to generate equity. What about Victor is very positive.

Speaking of heritage. How is the renovation of Puado?

I always call him 'Javichu', we have complicity. I have always bet on him. He is a footballer who is growing very fast because he needed a starting point, and he found it in his loan. When someone is from Espanyol and wants to be important, we already know what comes out: him, Nico … We have a negotiation ahead of us, which is what it is. We want him to continue and he also wants to continue. We will fight it. It has a clause of 40 million and has one year left. Thats the reality. We want him to be an important piece, and this has been the case with the coach and with our commitment. People say 'he has scored two more goals …'; yes, but he is still Javi Puado. We will work to keep it going, of course.

Is there a deadline to close this matter?

This cannot be the whole year. We have been working for a long time. We made an offer for the others to see the intention of Espanyol. I have had no problem waiting. You have to understand, we were focused on the goal, but we can't spend an awful lot of time with this. We have to reach a meeting point because we want him to be there and he to be. It doesn't have to be a soap opera.

Raúl de Tomás said a few days ago that his intention is to stay. Are you afraid that the market will contradict you?

It is normal that each market talks about Raúl de Tomás. It's the top scorer. It has a very high stat. He has scored 29 goals in a year and four months since he arrived at Espanyol. Surely it will be in some pools. But it is also certain that, despite the decline, he will have experienced things that lead him to say what he has said. He has said it all.

Is the goal closed?

Diego López and Oier are great goalkeepers, First. Ángel Fortuño and Joan García are two similar profiles and very talented. I'm very happy. Goalkeepers have the problem that if they don't play, we don't see them and they don't have a route. We have to be smart with the youth players. We haven't thought about if we have to bring someone else or if it will be Joan. We need a third because the League is very long.

How will the capital increase affect a salary cap that is in the negative?

I am not the expert on this, but the capital increase affects the salary limit. If we are still negative with enlargement, we will have to do something. If it is positive, the entry and exit options are already open as a normal market.

Therefore, will they not sell?

We don't want to sell, but if a good offer comes in and helps us make the market positive … Like Marc Roca, who also wanted to go there (to Bayern Munich). I don't know what will happen, but when you are negative you have to start thinking about certain things because you cannot register anyone.

What is the team's goal next season?

That is the great debate of Espanyol as always: What do we want to be? It was when Chen came and before when I was playing. Our mentality must be to win every game to quickly consolidate the category. That's the simple thing, and that gives you the option to fight. We cannot talk about something without being able to take that first step, it would be a serious mistake. We have to get people to be proud of us every game, that's fundamental, that's where the growth lies. That doesn't mean we don't have ambition. Ambition is not saying that you are going to the Champions League, it must be demonstrated every day. You have to get 40 points as soon as possible. Football is 90 minutes and our people. If the public is happy, that gives strength and energy to the player. I believe in it a lot.

Has not having an audience been beneficial or detrimental this long year?

I think that depends on the moments. If people support you in weak moments it benefits you and if they are angry, it hurts you. In our case, I think that the lack of public has hurt us because this last season we have experienced more joys, more positive things. Our fans would have helped us a lot. Football belongs to the people, a full stadium cheering you on does not have to be exchanged for anything.

Do you regret, with the relegation to Second RFEF, having set up such a young subsidiary?

The budget of the subsidiary is average in the Second Initial B. Our model and talent must give us to be among the top ten. We are not in the Pro League, because the budgets are going to be very high, and the management model changes. We have achieved something optimal. The boys fought it and they were phenomenal. We need young players for the first team. What if one day we jump to the Pro League with an average age of 19 and a half? I have to anticipate, and I believe in youth. It is not necessary to cover the ways to the youths or cadets that can already be with Espanyol. The player who is good has to be closer as soon as possible, or why not in the first team. Next year we can jump to the Pro League, but you have to understand the budget or the age.

How much does it reduce them that some homegrown players go to Barcelona?

They haven't left yet. Some have a contract and others we have not renewed. Espanyol does not talk about players who have a contract with another club. For example, it is very easy to say that Mateo Joseph has left, when he has a contract and a clause of 1.5 million. I do not know that they want to leave, I do not know if they will pay the clause. Espanyol has a project and has a lot to say. This model was created with Casanova, we paint it with our colors but we give it continuity, because it is the history of Espanyol. There is no club better than Espanyol to go up to the First Division and succeed.

And how to convince the player who thinks of going to the eternal rival?

If what you want the environment of that player is money, we will not play that game. We will fight to accelerate processes, to create identity. At Espanyol those who want to be there always triumph: Puado, Pedrosa, Melamed, all of the above … I want to identify players who want to be there. And the sports area will provide them with all the resources. Those will triumph, because this club has that aroma with the youth players.