[ad_1]
When Real Madrid Played. Real Betis One of the Barnabas last Saturday La LigaThe senior striker was looking to add to his four goals in the young season.
We are not talking. Karim BenzemaAlthough – it remains on three league goals – but Betis ahead Borja IglesiasWho is behind it? BarcelonaS Robert Lewandowski And Celtic VigoS Ego Aspas in the Pichichi Tournament (both with five goals).
Iglesias, 29, has been around for a while. He came through Celta Vigo’s academy and shone on loan at Real Zaragoza where he found his breakthrough in the top flight. Spanish17 league goals in 2018-19 convinced Betis to sign him for €30 million.
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, More (USA)
But he has never started a season like this, scoring in Betis’ opener in a 3-0 win. elcheTwo penalties to win 2-1 Mallorca And scored the only goal in a 1-0 win. Health. It’s the form that people use to talk about emergency calls. Spain A player who has never played for his country at the 2022 World Cup at any level.
Iglesias – nicknamed ‘Panda’ by his teammates because of his love for it. Desiigner song you can’t get out of your head in 2016. — He was never a typical footballer.
Fascinated by football as a child, his parents would arrange for him to be flown to the nearby Santiago de Compostela airport, hoping to fit in with La Liga teams flying home to ask for a photo during a night game against Celta Vigo. and letters.
In the year In 2020, he took to painting his nails black, saying it was a small gesture aimed at reminding himself to fight racism and homophobia. “I have to admit – I like it.” He tweeted..
Although he could not score the first goal in front of his best friend. Thibaut Courtois – The couple share a passion for video games and have invested together in esports team DUX Gaming — Iglesias and Co. 2-1 loss Betis have been seen ending their season (Stream the replay in the US on ESPN+.)
Before the game, Iglesias spoke with ESPN’s Martin Einstein for a new segment. Bicycle diaryHe talks about his form, his mental health and his admiration for Benzema.
Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for clarity.
ESPN: How can you explain this improvement in scoring?
Iglesias: It’s incredible. Sometimes, if you sit down and think too much, it can get a little dizzying.
ESPN: In a professional environment like this, it’s hard to enjoy things with so much pressure and stress.
Iglesias: Completely. Sometimes I think it’s hard because I don’t enjoy it. The pressure I’m putting on myself is asking too much so I don’t allow myself to enjoy it. I wasn’t in touch with who I really am, what I love, playing football, right? So of course, you’re not doing your best. I was worried. Sometimes I go to bed saying I didn’t enjoy my day. It didn’t make sense because I was doing what I wanted to do since I was little.
ESPN: You are one of the few football players who are open, who humanize the profession and this is needed. Where footballers are, earning what they earn, having a high position in society, they are expected to be robots, perfect in everything. This can be counterproductive.
Iglesias: Yes, it’s true, I think it’s something we should do regularly, not just in sports. Mental well-being is important, but of course sometimes it’s hard to say you’re not. Because sometimes it’s like, ‘If he’s a footballer, if he’s making money and the fans like him, how come?’ Well, sometimes, for whatever reason, you’re just not okay. Sometimes you feel like you’re doing well financially, or in the news, or doing what you love, or whatever, but you’re not. Sometimes all these factors do not allow you to be safe. It sounds like something you can’t say, but the truth is, sometimes it happens.
ESPN: You said you’re in therapy, seeing a psychologist.
Iglesias: I always feel supported. [my teammates], and the coaching staff and the professionals who help you with these things because they are trained and have the tools to help you reconnect with yourself and be happy again and enjoy yourself. to me, [the psychologists] They gave me a way of looking at life that I wouldn’t have allowed myself to see because I was so inquisitive.
ESPN: Just like you have to be strong, do everything well, because if I have this, if I have that…
Iglesias: Of course, if you have everything, how can you not be safe? And the truth is, sometimes I felt that way. I was saying, ‘I can’t be okay.’ And of course you can get sick. Of course one day you don’t want to get up and go train, or another day you go to bed and say ‘what a day’, pardon the expression. It happens sometimes, and you also need those days to appreciate the good stuff. It would be so easy if everything was fine, wouldn’t it? If things don’t go smoothly, you won’t make much progress. I suffered through that process, but I also really appreciate it.
I think it’s good to stay away from the usual interview, talking only about football. I’d like to see teammates do something like this because they have so much to offer. Sometimes you don’t want to, or the situation doesn’t allow it, or whatever, but it really pisses me off, footballers have nothing to offer. Obviously there are people who are more qualified because of their circumstances in life. Everyone’s experience is different. I can talk about what my teammates have experienced, talk about, and then talk about others. It’s good to listen to other people. You often put yourself in their shoes and see that they are, as we say, people that you idolize or admire for whatever reason, but they also have your problems.
ESPN: What was the key moment for you?
[Betis captain] Andres saved It had a great impact on me during a difficult time [last season]. We played at home Sevilla, the team played well and I was bad. I lost the ball twice when I tripped the ball in practice. I went home that day really angry. He noticed and sent me a message. I remember: “As a football player, you are reaching your peak and we all believe in it. Keep going, because you are going to get there.”
And two weeks later, I scored twice (on the contrary Real community on January 26 in the Copa del Rey). Since then, I’ve had two seasons, or one and a half and the beginning of this one, which have been great. I think that message helped me a lot because I really needed someone to tell me that day. And of course Andres Guardado tells you who has played or is going to play in the fifth World Cup Mexico), is surprising.
ESPN: The balance you have in the dressing room is partly thanks to the many experienced players who know how to bring something to strengthen the team.
Iglesias: Completely. What they give us on the field, and it’s a lot, is nothing compared to what they give us off the field. They see things in a different way, and they are the ones who have the ability to explain in a moment when you don’t even know what is going on and help you with three words. They are a fundamental part of the team’s well-being, because they know how to keep all our feet on the ground in good times, and they know how to be positive in difficult times, how to help us grow.
ESPN: What is it like to face the likes of Karim Benzema?
Iglesias: The truth is he is one [players] I am very happy to see. I have enjoyed watching him for years. In a way, he’s a bit of an example to me, seeing as he criticizes, he has a lot of doubts. I think what he admires is his ability to adapt to what the team needs. I’m sure he wants to be the main man more than he wants — because he’s always scoring goals and all.
ESPN: Is that what they emphasize about him — that maturity, intelligence and adaptability?
Iglesias: Yeah, I think those are the three things that have helped Kareem take that step forward over the last few years. From a technical point of view, we are talking about a striker who is probably the most technical, has a great potential to score goals. It’s great to see him because when you see him live you realize that not a single ball is missed. Every touch is good, every touch is meaningful. It doesn’t look fast, but it is fast. He is very good, very good.
[ad_2]
Source link
