Peio Uralde: “Oyarzabal is and will be Real history”

Real’s historic striker, Peio Uraldewho was part of a successful generation that won two leagues and a super cup, attended MD, then Mikel Oyarzabal is equal to his hundred goals in the txuri urdin jacket.

What does it mean for a player like Oyarzabal to equal your records?

Man, he thinks he’s doing the right thing. This is a figure that not everyone can achieve. After all, after many years, 30 specifically, you are doing this interview with me about what amounts to my hundred goals. That means he is making history. I imagine that in the future when another player equals his records, you will do another interview, saying that the Michael Oyarzabal of the time he made history by passing me. It’s something I’m proud of. Because the 100 goals they scored are immortalized for life. There are a hundred moments of complete happiness, because nothing compares to scoring a goal.

What’s more, he did it without being a pure forward and at just 27 years old.

it’s true. Now he plays more as a forward lately but his natural position is the left winger. The same thing happened to me, I went up to the first team as a midfield player, then I came to the national team as a winger and ended up playing as a forward. It’s something instinctive, we have a sense of purpose, the point of being in the exact spot to push the ball. And logically, more and more is paid for an attacker. Because it is the most difficult thing in football, it is sometimes said that a striker misses the easiest chance. But I always say that the hardest thing is always to score a goal, because anything can happen. Regarding age, we must also consider that he had significant injuries that prevented him from playing for a long time, so reaching 100 goals like this has more merit. If Mikel continues at Real, he will continue to score goals, because he has the guile and hunger in front of goal.

He has scored very decisive goals for Real’s current history.

Mikel will be there, but he will be the history of Real for everything he will give to the team. He has a character that is found in very few players, a very positive attitude, he loves the shield and he has everything that a Real player wants to have. Any club would love to have an attacker like that.

He was like a seasoned footballer in his day who never gave up the ball, right?

Besides being a scorer, he is a worker. Although all First Division players give their all in every game. Some are more noticeable than others. And you have to have that caste and that drive and Mikel has that. For me he is the ideal player for Real, although other players also have their qualities and numbers.

You managed to reach a hundred goals in 221 games, Eibartarra needed 362. Does that mean it was more effective?

I don’t follow the games, but yeah. They have been with me for six or seven years at Real, but as I always say, today’s football is a different sport compared to what we play, because of all the conditions that exist. Now there are social networks, VAR… It’s the same sport but with different meanings.

And in European matches, he has the honor of being the player who has scored the most goals with the turi urdin jacket.

A few months ago they asked me the same question and I didn’t know he was Real’s top scorer in the European Cups. Out of the 100 goals I’ve scored, one will score in Europe (laughs). As I told you, there are 100 unforgettable moments, because if I start counting I remember each of the goals. Everything remains recorded in the mind forever.

And when the ball doesn’t go in and the criticism comes?

There are players who go through a bad streak for a year. Mikel I didn’t think he would go 15 games without scoring a goal. Logically, there are bad moments, because it is very difficult to always maintain the level. They just do Messi and christianbut those have numbers from another planet. When you have a bad streak all you have to do is keep working and Michael doing that. The forward lives by scoring goals and knows that sometimes he won’t be right, because a goal is a tenth of a second of luck. It’s true that sometimes, either because you’re not fresh or not good physically, it’s hard to score. But you have to keep working knowing that sooner or later the reward will come in the form of a goal.

Do you see him capable of reaching ‘Satrus’ 162?

You have to come in next Sunday first. When they asked me how many goals I could score in the season, I answered that I had to score one (laughs). You have to go game by game, because a lot of things can happen and Mikel doesn’t have to set the goal to lose Satrustegi. I hope he does, but he needs to focus on scoring in the next game. And continue in that line, because it is an example for all realists.

Are the players very motivated to reach those records or do they not give it much importance?

I think they give importance to it, although in my case, I was eager to score goals and achieve all possible goals. At this moment you don’t realize that it is the number 100 because you don’t count it, but then you are conscious, you know it and you are satisfied and what will be said in twenty years when you leave football and you remember each other. of the goals you have recorded. That always remains there. Granted you won’t repeat it all the time, but Mikel certainly wants to add to his stats.

Real are struggling to find ‘9’ consistency.

I think football has changed and at Real the formula of the game, facing pure center forwards, finishers and area forwards, maybe punished him. But not only in Real. Now they take fewer risks, lose fewer balls and try to secure the final pass. This means there aren’t many pure finishing forwards anymore. And the false nine was even invented. That for me the only false nine is Messi. So, that happens with the Real striker, who can have a handicap because they are not very focused, but it is also times and there are moments. For example, I told ‘Txiki’ Begiristain: “you have to sign Early Haaland to win the Champions League.” Because otherwise they won’t win it. And the other day I read an interview with Luca Toni, who said that the center forward is now missing. It’s true that football has changed and the striker has been renewed.

It has been modernized.

There are always players who score goals. Like this Oyarzabal. That smell and nonsense never goes away. Ambition is also key to scoring goals. And sometimes they tell you that you are selfish, for not being able to find a pass. We have a goal between our eyebrows. Valdano said Maradona In the World Cup finals, as he dribbled past players, he knew he was on the left. I’m not like that. You have to be aware of scoring a goal and know you have a teammate nearby. And for those who have the advantage of scoring a goal, sometimes it’s not enough to know that they have a clear pass.

What do you think of this Real by Imanol?

This is a very good team. They have been at a very high level for many years. On a national or European level, everyone speaks highly of Real. The way they play, above all else. I recently watched a documentary Luis Enrique that, when it was their turn in the Champions League to play against Real, he said that the team attacked the best. That means Imanol Alguacil He put his grain of sand in there and even though he had better or worse moments, he was always there.

Imanol also had to modernize the game, they are still associative but more solid in defense than in previous seasons.

To achieve the goals you need to mark your land. That happens to all teams.

They go big in Anoeta, just like you did in Atotxa.

He has a way of playing that makes it difficult to score a goal against them. Starting from that base. In addition, they are well centered, good at counterattacks, but they also commit a lot of fouls that disrupt the game of the opposing team. That’s important in football, being tough in disputes wins you a lot of games. Although football has changed, some things will remain forever. Winning the aerial ball and helping your team in that conflict will always be appreciated by the coach. If you run to get to the ball, your teammate sees it and it’s contagious. They are things that last a lifetime. These efforts of footballers are not negotiable for any coach.

Do you see the Europa League final in San Mamés between Real Sociedad and Athletic as possible?

It will be a joy for all Gipuzkoans, but you have to gradually because it is not easy to achieve that. Logically, there are very important teams that will make it difficult for you. They have chances and we have to fight to get to the final.

They are nowhere close to playing in the European Cup final…

Yes, on the way back to Hamburg we were nowhere near. If we had VAR, we would have played that final. The competition in Europe is very good and competitive, because you are playing against the best in Europe. This is a competition that I really like.