He is one of the captains of the Real's first squad, but has had no luck this season with injuries and has barely been able to play 12 games. Sad on the personal level, he focuses on the collective, on putting the finishing touch with the fifth place in Pamplona. Joseba Zaldua analyzes for AS everything that surrounds the entity txuri-urdin.
-Second year in the group stage in the Europa League. They have it in hand, you cannot escape them in Pamplona.
Yes it's correct. Because at this point depending on yourself is the best thing that can happen to you, so we have it in our hands, so we will give everything we have to get that fifth place, which is the goal we have set for ourselves.
“Don't you honestly think that would be fair?” Less in two days, the rest of the league have been in European positions.
I do believe it. We have had a very good year, with the demands of Europe and with the prize of being cup champions. And in the league we have been very reliable, and we have been in fifth place for most of the season. The year has been very regular, and we are the just deserving of that fifth place, but until it finishes nothing is said, and we will go to Pamplona for it.
– Does it give you the feeling that what they are doing has not been valued? Whatever happens in El Sadar.
This is what we comment on in the dressing room, that many times we are not aware of what we are doing. It is very difficult to be two years fighting to enter Europe, and it seems that if we do not get that fifth place it is like a small failure. And I think that whatever happens in Pamplona, we should be proud of this team, of what we have been demonstrating in these two years, fighting at the highest level, and above all being rarer than normal. We have done a year that anyone would have signed at the beginning of the season.
-To be fifth you have to beat an Osasuna who doesn't play anything, but they don't expect any help, right?
None. Favors we do not expect any. We know that they are going to go out to win the game without any consideration, nor that it is a derby, nor that they like us better or worse … they already showed it on the previous day against Atlético, they made things very complicated by playing the League . We hope the best version of Osasuna. And we have to go out and look and give everything, because we play a lot.
-They want to put the finishing touch to an unforgettable season with the title of Cup champions …
We are still not aware of everything we are doing. More than 30 years had passed without winning a title at La Real and it was us. And on top of that, overcoming a very demanding season, with Europe and fighting for Europe again. Not even in the best dreams we could imagine it. We must be very happy with what we are achieving and be aware of how difficult it is to achieve all this. It is that winning a title with Real, for those of us from Donosti and Real, there is no more beautiful dream to fulfill than that.
-I don't even want to imagine what it meant to you about La Cartuja …
If it wasn't the best day of my life, there would be little left. It is something that any fan of his team dreams of, to be able to win a title with the jersey of your soul team is to feel more than proud. It was very strong. And so are all the fans of the team. But me too, because for example I took my wife and daughter to Anoeta to take a photo with the Cup, and we are going to put it at home, with a signed T-shirt of the entire squad and with a piece of net. That I have kept as a treasure.
-Collectively you can not put any problem, personally playing 12 games only because of injuries …
Very hard, yes. It is a complicated year personally. Between one thing and another I have not managed to be 100% and in my best version. A year of going against the current, and it hurts because it was a very beautiful season to have enjoyed more on the field. But in the end that's how football is, I had been without any injury for three years and playing everything, and you have to accept it. All this has also made me realize that I can help from off the pitch, supporting and helping the younger kids, and I have felt important to the team. At least, I had a gift from my daughter, who was a father last summer, and when I came home annoyed, with her smile, everything would go away.
-Have you thought about changing your diet and training habits to avoid muscle injuries?
Yes, totally. I have started doing more specific work in the gym to try and strengthen certain areas. And as for food, there is the team nutritionist (Virginia Santesteban) who takes care of us and gives us the guidelines, with a diet that she prepares for me to help prevent injuries and be better. Everything that we can control, we have to try.
-The contract with Real Sociedad ends in 2023, have you been called to renew like other colleagues?
No, at the moment I have another two years. And I am happy. Because as long as the club wants and I look forward to it, I am going to continue here because it is what I want the most, and I hope that I can do what I have left of my sports career at La Real. As a good Donostiarra and enhance him, I will always want to be in the Real as much as I can.