Hi Javi! How's pre-season going?
-Hi! Well, we're getting into shape and suffering in this heat. To be honest,
I'm feeling good physically. We've already played our first competitive match, which we lost in Linares. It hurt, but we have to pick ourselves up and keep going. It's a demanding competition.
At Futbol Emotion Academy, we organise camps specially designed by and for
goalkeepers. Did you miss this type of initiative when you were training?
-The truth is that goalkeeping has evolved a lot in recent years, and I think that
specific camps for goalkeepers are one of the pillars for the visibility of goalkeeping and its growth among young people. I wish they had come along sooner. I had to endure the battles between goalkeepers, but that's all they were, pure competition.
Specific training for goalkeepers has evolved a lot in the last 10-15 years.
How have you experienced this evolution?
-I've experienced it from the inside, and I think it's a natural evolution. The goalkeepers of “before” have nothing to do with those of today in terms of technique and tactics. They were very good and had undeniable natural talent, but now much more work is done on the goalkeeper at an individual level, working conditions are better and resources are vastly improved compared to the past. That's why I think the evolution was natural.
Goalkeeper gloves are another item that has undergone changes. What do you look for in a glove?
-I look for comfort, for the glove to be compact but lightweight, to fit snugly
around the wrist and to have a firm grip. I want the latex grip to be suitable for wet conditions, for it to be durable, and I really like it to be white.
Another aspect that has evolved the most is the training equipment. We've gone
from using poles and cones to having a wide range of equipment. What do you like the most and what do you find the most difficult in specific training?
-The truth is that today we have everything, although it's not mandatory to use all the equipment every day... Hahaha. I also think that despite the wide variety of equipment available, I believe that the most important thing is good ball striking. I couldn't say what I like best because I adapt to everything. But what I like least is when they use dummies to block visibility. I hate not being able to see the ball coming out or its trajectory being deflected.
Finally, what does a professional goalkeeper miss about their training days?
I wasn't in a youth academy as a kid, but from the age of 13/14 I was lucky enough to have a goalkeeper coach, from Chiri at CDBerceo, then moving on to the youth team, the reserve team and the first team at D.Alaves with Javi Barbero and Tito Subero. After spending a year at Barakaldo, I ended up at Real Betis training in the first division... I didn't miss out on much, I even reached the final of a goalkeeper competition one summer in Logroño, which was held at the Pradoviejo sports complex when I was 16/17 years old.
Thank you for giving visibility to goalkeeping. Sometimes we are misunderstood, but I have no doubt that a goalkeeper's mentality is special and helps us a lot to face many of life's everyday problems.
Log in or
create your account
Your best self starts here. Come in and get in your prime