Valdes: "I like the quietness of the countryside"

Barcelona player Víctor Valdés gave an interview to Catalan sports paper Sport.





Are you as cold as it seems?
With people I trust I joke around more. My way of being on the pitch seems cold but a game of football just isn't a funny thing. The laughing comes with the results.

You don't laugh during a game?
I'm not very cheerful because of my position. Being a goalkeeper doesn't allow me to smile. In normal life it's different.

You enjoy watching this team play?
I don't have time for that. Only when we score. You have to be aware of a lot of things, you cannot relax.

You watch your own games at home afterwards?
I did that more in the past.

You're especially hoping for a trophy?
All three are the same. Even the cup although I'm not playing. It's important that people see that Barça wins no matter who is playing.

The opponents are scared of you?
The opponents wait more for us at the back so they can play the counter-attack. They're alert, cautious.

Which Pep did you discover?
I knew him but now I know how he works. Over the past months I have learnt a lot about football, things I didn't think of before. I like it.

For example...
Because of my position, I didn't know a lot about the tactics. I was concentrating on my things. Now I know more. Guardiola works on the little details that make us big.

You'll end up as a coach?
Only as a goalkeeping coach. To see a young goalkeeper train makes me feel proud. It's difficult. I would like to be at his side if he needs me. I know how difficult it is to be a goalkeeper because you suffer a lot.

Which goalkeepers do you like?
Gorka (Athletic Bilbao) for his risky style. There are others that are also playing very good, like the ones of Valladolid (Asenbjo) and Villarreal (Diego López). Or Asier Riesgo (Recreativo).

What is the price one has to pay to be a Barça player?
The sacrifice since childhood. If you get to be a professional, you're rewarded with a privileged life.

You're close with Iniesta.
I'm not someone who has a lot of friends but Andrés is always by my side and he's one of my best friends. He seems calmer but, despite the age difference, I don't think our characters really are that different.

What kind of person are you?
I'm rather relaxed. I don't like big crowds, but I'm neither avoiding things because of the fact that I'm more famous than others. Being popular doesn't limit my life so if I have to do something or go to a public place, I don't leave that because people will recognize me otherwise.

How do you relax?
I like to spend hours close to the sea and I also like the quietness of the countryside. That's were I can truly disconnect. Don't think I'm a farmer or anything, not at all. I just like the silence, the peace, the calmness. I also adore to go out fishing or kitesurfing. I'm lucky to live close by the sea so I don't need to travel far.


This was the third and last part of this interview. You can read the previous parts here:
Valdes: "I'm not only looking at the money"
Valdes: "Winning games doesn't mean anything"