“Vinicius? I’ll give the Ballon d’Or to Carvajal”

Joselu Mato desired real Madrid. He did not regret the decision made three months ago, to close a dream before the arrival of Kylian Mbappé and Endrick, but he felt homesick after savoring the year of his career. Still shocked by Dani Carvajal’s injury, he sent a message to those who, after a bad result, pointed out the coach: “Doubting Ancelotti is a mistake.”

Joselu’s life has changed a lot. From Madrid to Doha. From qualifying with Real Madrid to the ‘Champions’ final with his goals to scoring for Al-Gharafa. Nothing that a footballer is used to change, staying in the Spanish team, has not experienced from the first steps of his career. From concentration, in a calm conversation with EFE, he analyzes the irregular start of the season of the Madrid team.

He asked for the Ballon d’Or for Dani Carvajal, still reeling from his brother-in-law’s serious injury, which he admitted he would change because of the rupture of his knee ligaments that would keep him out. the field for one year. It examines the first steps of Mbappé, the dimension of a footballer like Toni Kroos and supports the coach with whom he was able to fulfill, at the age of 34, the great dreams of any footballer, to win LaLiga and the Champions League.

With Real Madrid closing its chapter and seeing their games so far away, do you regret the decision you made?

(Laughter) Of course, one always longs for a place where they treat him like home. In the end, I was the most lucky, that I ended up there, the first day wearing that shirt and stepping on that field was the best day of my life. Having the opportunity to wear that shirt at the Bernabéu, which is a childhood dream that is very difficult to achieve, that few Spanish players can achieve. It’s not that I regret it, but you miss it and you can’t help but think of the good times you had at home.

I don’t regret the decision I made because I believe that in life the decisions that a person makes never need to be regretted, but it’s true that watching Madrid makes me feel that I was there and that I was lucky enough to experience of moments equal to or better than those living today.

What do you miss most about Real Madrid?

Feel at home. From day one they treated me like one of them. The feeling of being at the best club in the world from the president, José Ángel, the coach, your world-class teammates… it’s amazing. Putting on that jersey and playing in that stadium is unlike anything you can imagine in your entire life.

He was watching the Villarreal game, sentenced, and what did he think when he saw his brother-in-law Dani Carvajal badly injured?

If I’m honest, it was one of the worst moments I’ve had in my career. I was at home watching it in Qatar, I told my wife and I swore at my children that it was like it happened to me. I would have changed for him because I know what Madrid means to Dani, who was there, won titles, wore the captain’s armband many times.

I’ve felt a lot, I’ve been confused for two days thinking about his feelings. He is part of my family, he is like my brother, we share many things in common and it hurts me as if I have him. I didn’t sleep that night, I was lucky to be with him on Sunday and he calmed me down more than I calmed him down. Everyone knows him and is eager for the worst to be over and to return.

What does Dani represent in the locker rooms of Real Madrid and the national team?

Dani is a reference for everyone. On the field of play he showed the healthy aggressiveness that players need to compete, the will to win, not to give up, to fight until the 95th minute like the other day in a match that was almost over and he goes to death because his way of being is So. This is what he reflects in his daily life to be one of the leaders of the national team and of Real Madrid outside the field, with his commitment, the good daily life he has, the conversations with him who is always ready to help everyone.

What is happening at Real Madrid?

Gradually, I think they lost important players and they need to create more popularity with some players in some positions so that we can see their team again. Real Madrid will win its games, always when it loses a game there is a crisis and the problem is that last year was incredible, without any kind of problem. It is true that it has had ups and downs in some games but Madrid is always Madrid, it will rebuild itself because it has world-class players.

In the first months of the season the most repeated name was Toni Kroos

Kroos is an irreplaceable player, he has been a key piece for the last ten years at Real Madrid and there is no player like him in the world. Obviously whoever plays in his position replaces what for me has been like Iniesta, Xabi Alonso, Xavi, Modric, one of the best midfielders in history.

Why still not seeing the best Mbappé?

Well, he had six or seven goals, in the end he was playing in a position that at PSG started more on the left. He plays for Real Madrid, which is not easy, the Bernabéu is very demanding, the demands of playing for the best club in the world. You are forced to score goals, play well, win titles and people want nothing more than that. The day a good game doesn’t come out, you don’t score or shoot on goal, Madrid needs what it has. But let’s look at the best of Mbappé. We know the conditions it has, what it can contribute and it will certainly bring a lot of success.

Do you see him capable of achieving the scoring numbers that only Cristiano Ronaldo has achieved?

The thing is that Cristiano became the ‘goat’ of Real Madrid, the leading scorer in world history. His goal is to put up similar numbers but Cristiano is the best forward to have played for Real Madrid in terms of numbers in its history and Mbappé certainly wants to leave his mark on the club. Little by little he is doing and will write his story as well.

In defeat, the blame is always on the wanted and there is a current that says Ancelotti is struggling to get the best out of the team.

For now, doubting Ancelotti is a mistake, I think he knows that there are moments of the season where the situations are not good. It happens in any club in the world and he has conditions as a coach, and his coaching staff, from calmly dealing with that situation, to moving into one in ecstasy. He can take the team by storm, he is the best coach in the world right now and he will get the best performance out of all the players. I’m sure he will get more titles.

Real Madrid fans are clamoring for the Ballon d’Or for Vinícius but Joselu has another candidate…

I’ll give it to Carvajal. We are talking about a player who played everything last year, who won the same club titles as Vini, whom I appreciate and love as a teammate, but I think Dani finished the season as best player in the Champions League finals. and winning the European Championship where it is very important.

In the end, credit is not given to a defender because the one who scores goals or assists is more of a main character, but we see Dani as a goalscorer, scoring and providing assists while important, playing incredible games. He is a serious candidate to win it as it has been a long time since we have seen a player with that condition and the titles achieved last year playing in defense would make it fair for him to win the Ballon d’Or.

After Iniesta or Xavi in ​​the year of the World Cup, Rodri last year, does Spanish football owe anything?

It’s not that they owe us, it’s that ultimately I think the era of Cristiano and Messi at the Ballon d’Or level is over, we’ve seen Benzema and Modric achieve it but obviously at the defensive level . we have to take a step forward because Dani has done something that is not available to others. That’s why for me he is a candidate to win.