El Larguero on the Cadena SER radio station is a must-listen for any Spanish-speaking fan of Spanish football. Yes, they will spam your podcast feed but they have daily debates and discussions on lots of different sports, as well as interviews, which is right up my street as a translator.
This week, new Rayo Vallecano goalkeeper Diego López was on the show after his team’s pre-season friendly against Leganés and was made to feel old by the line of questioning (admittedly, he’s almost 41, so fair enough). He also talked about motivation, the project at Rayo and what the future holds after retirement.
López is also the new number one (pardon the pun) in terms of being fastest to use the word ‘ilusión’ (excitement, motivation) in a Spanish interview that I’ve translated, taking 22 seconds.
Good evening, Diego. How are you doing?
Good evening. I’m really happy to be here at Rayo Vallecano and ready to get stuck right in again.
Is pre-season the same when you’re 40 as when you’re 20?
Well, it’s changed a lot! Football has changed so much. I still have the same excitement and the same hunger to keep competing and performing at the highest level. I’m grateful to Rayo for the opportunity.
How do you stay motivated when you’re 40 years old?
When you do what you love and what makes you happy, it’s easy. This’ll be my mindset for as long as my body can cope with it.
You’ve signed a one-year deal, if I’m not mistaken.
Yes, one year. We’ll see what happens next year, it depends on how much I’m enjoying it and how I’m feeling.
Your contract with Espanyol came to an end after six years there. How did your move to Rayo come about? David Cobeño, Rayo’s sporting director, was a teammate of yours at Real Madrid.
Once I’d come to the end of my contract and they weren’t going to extend it, Cobeño got in touch and the idea really appealed to me. From the outside, I’ve seen Rayo progress a lot in the last few years, they’re a very competitive team, they have very clear ideas that are similar to mine. So I was open to it and I’m very happy to have joined. I’m looking forward to adding something to the team.
Did the fact that Andoni Iraola is staying influence your decision after what Rayo achieved last year?
I also know Andoni from playing together for the national team; a lot of my former teammates are now coaches or managers. It’s quite tough to see them there and some of the players could be my children! But everyone needs to be aware of what stage of their lives they’re at and what they have to offer.
Joaquín is the oldest player in LaLiga at 41 but you’re not far behind.
I’m the second oldest, I’ll be 41 in November.
You’d never know, you’ve aged well! And you’ve got a fantastic career behind you. Do you know what your role will be at Rayo? Did Iraola talk to you or Stole Dimitrievski about who will be first choice?
I’m here to help, my role doesn’t matter. Dimitrievski is a great goalkeeper, he’s been playing at a very high level here for years. I’m going to give my best, make it difficult for whoever it is and, if I don’t play, I’ll do my bit in the dressing room and in training. That’s my mindset right now.
José Callajón, another ex-teammate of yours who we spoke to yesterday, told us that he wants to stay in football after he retires. Is it something you’ve thought about?
I’m learning about all different areas at the moment. When the time comes, I’ll see where I want to go and where I think I can contribute the most. There’s a lot of competition in every sector, whether it’s coaching or club management.
There have been rumours of a return for Diego Costa. A forward line with him and Radamel Falcao wouldn’t be bad, would it?. Have you spoken about it in the dressing room?
Any great player who is ambitious and wants to help is welcome here. For this group of players, the team comes first and new arrivals have to learn that quickly.
There have also been rumours of a return to LaLiga for Cristiano Ronaldo at Atlético Madrid. What do you think about that?
In football, anything can happen. Surreal things happen but they depend on the moment, in both a sporting sense and a personal sense. You have to respect everyone’s decisions. Regardless of the fact that he defined an era with Real Madrid, there are players who have played for rival clubs before. Maybe it’s seen differently in Europe and we find it a bit more difficult to imagine in Spain. But we have to be above that and the players and people that join a new club, as is the case for me at Rayo, have to give their all, fight for the shirt, the values of the club and what it stands for.