Natalia Arroyo (Esplugas de Llobergat, 1986) speaks passionately about La Real and football, in that order. It is a source of words that define matches, styles and emotions. In this half year that she has led the first women's team asidas, she has reaffirmed that the decision to take on this challenge was very successful. He dreams, like the fans of his troupe, of being in the top three and playing in Europe next season.
How did La Real come to this break?
We got very close to where we wanted to go, with good footballing feelings and the team with a lot of energy. We are growing day by day because each rival asks us different things. Along the way we have had results that broke our streak, we have not yet chained three wins, but after each defeat we have achieved a victory a few days later. We came to the break with a good bag of points and in a very high position in the standings. And we have also been very close to putting in trouble the team that seems unattainable for the rest, Barça.
There are five victories, three defeats, fifths, 14 goals in favor and 10 against. Satisfied?
The numbers, so cold and in the abstract, are not as good as the sensations are being. We are having very good moments, dominating almost every game. Likewise, the one in Madrid was the least fluid. We are satisfied because we have many points in a League in which everyone is leaving them on the way, except for Barça. It is a well resolved part of the calendar.
What have you liked most about your team's game in these first eight days?
Many things. The essential is to be alive within the parties. The spirit that the team has to press up, squeeze when they lose the ball and the personality they are having with the ball. Chain efforts of a high level and a lot of concentration. I keep that he believes in what he does and in the energy of the whole group and of all the participants, since the whole group has played by now. After a game that could have raised doubts, the team had a day of being more resounding in the idea. Take out your courage in the most delicate moments.
She spoke at the beginning of the season of trying to put on a show and be daring. Do you think the team is hooking people?
Yes I think so. In the eyes of the whole world, on television, three of our games have been seen. The first against Deportivo was a declaration of intent on our part. Against Huelva we had to take him out, it was a rainy day and the rival defended in a low block, but the team proposed and proposed solutions. And the other day, in a good setting, we prioritized being ourselves, not distancing ourselves from our identity despite playing against Barça. Our identity is that of a team that from its youth, talent and energy, wants the ball, goes for the rival and exposes itself. This is how I vibrate in the games, as a coach and before as a fan and as a commentator.
Can La Real be third?
You can, of course you can. We will try to be at least third. This season is being super competitive, there are many incentives and objectives. The fact that there are four descents makes everyone look for life to score points. Everybody scratches spots. To be among the first three is a very juicy prize because until now only the first two have gone to Europe. We are aware that the squad has the potential for this. But there are also others that have potential and have put a budget for it. There will be many of us who fight for the same thing. La Real can be one of the teams that is there.
The potential of the team is demonstrated by the identity of some players who are left out. How do you cope with having to deliver so much bad news every week?
It is the most delicate part, they had already warned me. In preseason they all play, you distribute titles and tests things. The call for 20 saves you a first problem this year. Then another comes: who you choose to start and who you don't. The team, the games and the circumstances have allowed many players to feel involved. We are doing many things well in the conditional and medical section to be all available, and they are all training well, they have the same illusion and it is difficult to make decisions, always from the perspective of what is most beneficial for the team. There will be players with more pain and suffering because they do not participate and others who know they did it in the previous game or will do it in the next one. We are taking games because of what those who come from the bench contribute. If I could, I'd go to 14 or 15, but …
How do veterans like Etxezarreta, Torre or Lareo handle it?
Maddi is the only one who has not been a starter so far. Ane was in Madrid and Manu has the ownership of Granadilla and minutes in other games. They are three of the players who are having a harder time accepting that we are choosing others. They are used to being important and habitual. But they are training at a good level and the season is long. They are going to be important.
How do you see Nahikari?
Nahikari gave the explanations he had to give on his question. During the first weeks of competition, her situation was open and a more subdued and distant Nahikari was seen. The moment the decision is made and we know that Nahikari is our player for all intents and purposes, she has turned it around and is willing to give us everything she has to give us, that version 100% committed, facing what she wants and we want: to be better than previous years. He needed to free himself from the pressure of the physical, from his injury. She has been loosening up and she is already that player who plugs it into the first one she has, takes a foul, saves you the ball … She is the Nahikari we want, the one who helps us to be a better team.
Six months ago he decided to come to the Real. Have you ever repented or are you more convinced?
I am even more convinced, although I have been warned that rain and gray days will come. I made the decision convinced that it did not depend on whether the ball went in or not, but on what I felt. And what I felt from the beginning is that the Real project gave me a lot of confidence to do what I have always wanted to do and many tools to do it. And in Donostia, with its people, I have felt comfortable from the beginning. I feel that I am contributing things to the club and that they are allowing me to do what I had in mind. Every day I become more convinced that it was what I wanted and that it is the best place to do it. I'm delighted. This stage is teaching me a lot and making me vibrate.
Is it easier to train or comment?
Commenting is not easy because it forces you to judge decisions that you do not make. You have to anticipate, detect and put words to what you observe. Being part of the decision forces you to give your head a lot of thought. There you can influence and mediate. I like both things, but when you are part of what happens, you feel a little more satisfaction, although commenting also entertained me a lot.
What have you detected in the province regarding women's football?
The situation is difficult because of the covid-19. There are hardly any matches. La Real has a super enviable base fabric; Capture the talent in the clubs. There is commitment, level and illusion.