Xabi Alonso interview with Diario Vasco (Basque Daily newspaper)

Interview published today by Diario Vasco. It's part of a series of interviews and articles done with the Basque players that are playing in the Premier (Arteta, Campo, Garrido, Mikel and Xabi Alonso)and the exact date of the interview is unknown but it was probably done over a week ago or so. Hope you like it.

09.12.07 -

MIGUEL GONZÁLEZ

Give us an update on the injury.

- I’m taking it one step at a time. After the setback I had I’m taking it slowly now and I want to give it time to heal. But I’m having good sensations.

Is it similar to the injury you had while playing for Real(Sociedad)?

- This injury is on the fourth metatarsal and the one I had at Real was on the fifth. That fracture requires surgery and you know for sure how long you’ll be out for. This injury is not operated on, so it’s more difficult to determine how long you will need for recovery and also more difficult to measure just how well it’s progressing.

It’s the first case I’ve known of a fourth metatarsal injury.

- Me too. I don’t know what could’ve caused it. I noticed some discomfort during a match but I didn’t think much of it. Two days later I broke down in training.

What’s your balance so far on Liverpool’s start of the Premier?

- It’s been much better than in years past, where we always struggled away from home. This year it’s been the opposite, we’ve won more points away than at home. We had a couple of unexpected draws at Anfield and it’s what’s stopping us from topping the table so far. We’re doing well in the league but are having some problems in the Champions.

But in previous years you were a lot further back in the league table…

- A good start is vital for a title challenge. In previous years, by December we would be ten points back and it’s very difficult to cut back the advantage on teams like Manchester, Arsenal or Chelsea. Against one of them maybe but against all three is almost impossible because the big clubs don’t lose a lot of points. We’re well placed and if we continue playing strong, we will be fighting for the Premier.

Is the Premier your main objective this season?

- Yes, without a doubt. There’s a lot of expectations, in both the supporters and the squad, to win the league after almost twenty years.

And you’ve reinforced the squad really well also. Tell me about the new boys. Torres?

- There’s nothing new to discover, although you never know how well he could adapt. English football suits him because there are lots of chances and he can make a difference with his strength and pace.

Babel?

- He’s a great player. He can still improve, but he has shown glimpses of what was expected of him. He can make a difference with his pace and skill, and once he starts making better decisions he will add a lot to this team. He’s also got a great shot.

Voronin?

- A great signing, because we got him on a free. He’s been a great surprise. Very intelligent, plays for the team, creates chances, gives assists and can score goals. He’s a great bloke as well. I knew him already because I’ve faced him twice while playing for the national team, last time during the World Cup, and another time when he played for Bayer Leverkusen in the CL quarterfinals in 2005.

Benayoun?

- I already had him down as a good player before he scored the hat-trick against Besiktas. Playing for both Racing and West Ham he had shown his quality. He moves really well between the lines.

We add Gerrard, Kuyt, Carragher, Reina, Agger…What a great team!

- Yes, we have a good team, but there are a lot of good teams here(Premier)

Let’s start with the leaders. Arsenal?

- They’re playing very well. They play the most attractive football in the Premier. When we played at Anfield I was really impressed by their high tempo and the ease with which they would get past us in attack. But it’s very difficult to maintain that rhythm for the whole season.

How would you explain their improvement after losing their star player in Henry? Similar to what happened to Manchester last season, they won the league after losing Van Nistelrooy.

- It’s the work they’ve been putting in since last season. They already had a great squad, like they showed by reaching the Carling Cup final with their reserves. Besides, Henry spent a lot of time injured and even then, they got some great results. Henry’s departure has meant that other players have assumed more responsibility and they feel more important now.

What about Manchester United?

- They have a great team with the likes of Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez, Giggs, Scholes…They’re very good and will win a lot of games.

Are Chelsea less of a threat without Mourinho?

- Not at all, they’re still a very solid team, and they will be in the fight. Without a doubt Mourinho had put his mark on that team because of his personality, but they have recovered very well and are still the same team that can just roll over the opposition and end up winning matches by crumbling them. To win the league in England you have to play at a very high level.

What can you tell us about Man City and Garrido?

- They’re unbeatable at home, they’ve won all their matches there and that’s a sign of their strength. You tend to think that they will fade at some point, but after fifteen matches they’re still up there. They’ve found their best eleven and there they’re working very well, they also have a good mix of youth and experience and seem to be in good spirits. We’ll see how far they can go.

This is your fourth season at Liverpool and you’ve already won the Champions, FA Cup, Super Cup…What goals are you setting for yourself this season?

- I’ve still got lots of things left to accomplish. I hope I can win the title at Liverpool, make up for the league that slipped away at Real Sociedad. We’ve finished third twice and I think that the complete CV needs a league title in it, because it’s the competition that measures consistency. Then, I have a new challenge with the national team.

The Euro is almost here

- It’s another possibility for achieving something this season. I already played the last Euro at Portugal, where things didn’t turn out so well. At Germany’s World Cup I felt we had a better team and we thought we could go really far, but you can’t allow yourself to make any mistakes and against France we didn’t play our best football. Now we will have a good opportunity to get over that disappointment.

It seems that expectations have sky-rocketed after the convincing win against Sweden

- We’re used to going from heroes to villains and back in short periods of time. Things will start to calm down because there is still a lot of time left before the Euro, although we have two big tests against France and Italy that will give us an idea of where we stand.

For how long do you see yourself playing in England?

- I’ve already surpassed the number of seasons I played there (In Spain), this is my fourth and at Real I played three and a half. This past summer I signed a new deal with Liverpool that runs until 2012, so you do the math. There is great potential at this club to do important things and I don’t see any other place where I could be better.

Tell us about Real (Sociedad)

- I haven’t been able to watch them play this season. I know they’re a very young team and we’ve won four points against Malaga and Sevilla, and that the excitement is coming back by bits. It’s good news. There’s a lot of league left to play, but hopefully they can build on this and find some sort of consistency and in time find themselves in the top spots, which is what gives you confidence.

Do you think they have a chance to win promotion?

- Of course. The key is for the players to feel good, know that they’re doing a good job in defense and attack. If they can gain that sensation and if they have belief, with the players that they’ve got, they’ll be up there without a doubt.

Diario Vasco

As requested: Pre-Liverpool Interview with Krisztian Nemeth

Hope you enjoy it Z.

The interview is dated 14-12-2006 and was done by Spanish paper Marca.

Krisztian Nemeth: “Puskas was one of a kind and it’s impossible to compare him to anybody else”



Lacking the key figures to idolize ever since the great Florian Albert’s (Golden Ball winner in 1967) career came to a sour end, Hungarian football is eager to recuperate part of its former glories at the hand of Krisztian Nemeth, a lean striker who at 17 years of age is already causing awe with his virtuoso style of play and his high goal-scoring ability inside of the enemy area.

Peter Varhidi, the Hungarian coach, compares him to Trezeguet. A much more grounded comparison for Krisztian himself, than the praise he is receiving from his other fellow countrymen. “No Hungarian player, no matter how good he is, can ever be compared to Puskas because he was one of a kind. He is an idol for all of us who are only getting started in football. I would consider myself very satisfied if I’m able to achieve in my entire career only a fourth part of what he accomplished, although it makes me very proud that people think of me as his heir”, he tells Marca from his home in Budapest.

Are there any similarities to Puskas in the way you play?

- Perhaps the only similarity is that I'm also a goalscorer, although I am right footed and a bit leaner.

Which one of your qualities would you highlight?

- I’m good on the ball. Opposing players have a hard time taking it away from me. My dribbling is good also. I’m not very fast, but I have good acceleration and I’m explosive over a short distance. I would classify myself as a creative striker.

Thinking of a hypothetical exit to a foreign country, Which football do you like the most?

- My style would probably be best suited to Latin football. In Spain or Italy. My dream is to play in the Spanish league and follow Puskas’s steps at Real Madrid. It would be very hard to describe the joy that would mean for me to wear that shirt and to be only the second Hungarian player to do so after him.

Do you have any idols right now?

- Del Piero. Zidane also. And as a striker, I try to emulate Ronaldo. He’s the best.

What are your objectives in the short term?

First, to recover from the injury that I’m carrying. I hope to score many goals with my team and with the Hungarian U-19’s in the upcoming Eurpean Championship in Ireland, although my main goal is to debut with the Hungarian national team at some point.

Pacheco scores a 'hat-trick'

Dani Pacheco, the young Spanish striker signed from Barcelona this past summer, scored a hat-trick against San Marino while playing for Spain U-17's in a European Championship qualifier mini-tournament being held in Andorra. Spain won the match by a score of 6-0 with highly rated Thiago(2) of Barcelona and Edu Valle(1) providing the other goals.

Source: ATB

Arbeloa to earn a surprise call-up?

Alvaro Arbeloa could be a surprise inclusion on Luis Aragones's next squad list. The defender,who has earned a starting place in Rafa Benitez's Liverpool team, is performing at a high level which has prompted the national team manager to pay closer attention to him lately and to discuss with his assistants whether he should be given a chance for the next friendly match on October 17 against Finland.

Arbeloa told Marca on Sunday "I don't know anything about it. I'm working hard as I always do to try and give my best every match. Without a doubt, it would be an honour to play for the national team but nobody has been in contact with me regarding this possibility".

http://www.marca.com/edicion/marca/futbol/internacional/es/desarrollo/1041556.html

Liverpool sign "Real Madrid's Messi"

From Marca

It’s a major blow for Real Madrid’s youth setup. Liverpool have snapped up Gerardo Bruna, a 16 year old attacking midfielder who was considered one of the jewels on Madrid’s youth teams. With Barcelona priding themselves with the likes of Messi, Giovani and Bojan, Real were hoping to do the like with Bruna, an Argentinian lad of great talent who was brought up in Spain. Benitez gave the go-ahead for the signing.

Interview with Mikel SanJosé

Interview taken from deportesnavarra.com

The young Spanish centerback from Villava, formed in Athletic's academy is playing with the Liverpool reserves at only 18.

How’s life in Liverpool?

-Very good, I’m really happy. I thought it would be a lot harder at first but that hasn’t been the case, so I’m quite well.

How’s your English coming along?

- At first I thought I was going to have a tougher time with the language but it’s going quite well actually.

How do you manage to get around the city?

- Liverpool is not so big of a city and I’m currently living in the city centre so I pretty much walk everywhere. To go to Melwood, there is a taxi that takes all of us that live in the same area so it’s quite practical.

Where are you living right now?

- On Monday, I will move in with a family that the club has arranged for. Usually, they know someone that works for the club and they know we’re from abroad. Some of my team-mates that live with such families tell me they’re very happy.

Do you speak with your parents very often?

- Yes, my parents are back home. I speak to them every day. They’re very happy for me and always ask me what I’ve done for the day, if I’m happy…they also happy that I’m here.

Is the weather as bad as people say?

- It rains almost every day and it’s been quite cold lately.

But you’re from northern Spain so you must be used to it…

- Yes [laughs] but it never gets this cold in September

Are you surprised by the magnitude of your new club?

- Yes, it’s very impressing. You see very important people all the time and sometimes you get to train just a few feet away from the first team. It’s very rewarding.

Have you spoken to any of the other Spaniards at the club?

- Yes, quite often. Xabi Alonso is very nice and he’s helped me a lot since the first day. With Benitez I don’t speak as much, only from time to time.

And what does he say to you?

- To work harder and to be alert.

Have you been able to watch any of the Premier League matches?

- Since I arrived I’ve watched all of Liverpool’s games at Anfield.

Is the football there so different to Spanish football?

- Yes, people here don’t support based on the result or how well you’re doing. For them it’s more important that all the players give everything on the pitch. If the players fight and fight, even if things don’t go so well, they will keep on cheering. The intensity is a lot higher on the pitch and the refs let the play go on more often.

Does English football suit your abilities better then?

- I don’t know. In Spain, the ball is kept on the ground more often and the strikers base their game on quality. Here, it’s more about long balls and the strikers are very strong. The physique is more important. In Spain, as soon as you touch the attacking player a little bit or make contact they call a foul but here you can almost climb on top of them, use your body and they don’t call a foul, so it’s more difficult for them to win the ball.

What do you reckon you need to improve on?

- I don’t know. My heading is quite good but I need to gain a bit more intensity. With English football being faster I need to add a bit more ‘spark’. It’s going well so far so I’m hoping I get it right soon.

You have a 3 year contract. Have you set yourself any goals?

- It’s difficult but I want to win the starting spot with the reserves and play as much as possible and if I get to make my first team debut then even better. It’s my dream but I know it’s going to be very difficult.

Do you think that being at Liverpool will open up the doors to other teams?

- Yes, but I need to do as best as I can here because if I can’t break into the first team in the future then I will possibly need to look elsewhere. But my aim is to do everything possible while I’m here. I have to give my very best to get to the first team. And hopefully one day I will debut at Anfield.

Torres interview on EL LARGUERO

Interview aired last night on El Larguero of Cadena Ser.

Alcala- Here tonight, we appreciate the company of a lad who's had to make a difficult decision at the beginning of the summer…who traded away the comfort of his home in Madrid and of his everyday life for a new adventure far away in Liverpool and who, Joserra, you can see the happiness on his face and the calmness at the same time that demonstrate that things so far have been going quite good and I’m very happy for him. Tonight from Las Rozas, home of the national team, Fernando Torres

Joserra- Fernando, good evening. How are you?

- Good. Things have gotten off to a good start for me, just like I wanted it and I’m having a good time.

I’m worried because Alcala told me today that you had to leave the training session 15 minutes before the end. What happened?

- Yes, I took a slight knock from David Albelda and at the time I thought it was nothing but then later in the afternoon I felt some pain again… but the doctor calmed me down, said it was nothing serious just a knock and we’ll see how it’ll progress for the next few days. We’ll try to take advantage of tomorrow’s day off and the trip to let it heal so I can be in the best conditions for the match.

And Alcala, you say he looks very happy?

Alcala- Yes, I think if there is one word to define his demeanor right now that word is happiness. And if you had spent the entire day with him like I have you would realize it’s a different kind of smile on his face, as if he’d taken a lot of weight off his shoulders…it’s a more radiant, more open, more genuine smile and if there is one word to define him…because he’s had a great start to his career in Liverpool…that word is 'happy'. And as I begin to get to know him better I don’t think I’m wrong, Fer?

- Well, these past few years at Atleti have been somewhat difficult at times, there’s been a lot of pressure on me and perhaps while I was there I didn’t feel it or didn’t realize it was there because I was focused on pulling forward for the team and I think the change of scenery has done me a lot of good. Liverpool is a great club and the pressure is shared amongst all the players, the way the team works allows you to grow more as a player and if on top of that the results are going our way then everything is a lot easier. I’m really enjoying the moment, I’m very happy and now that I can look back at the last few years I notice that is very difficult to get improve and to have a good time when you’re carrying all the weight of the team on your shoulders.

All the pressure you were carrying before and that you mentioned you didn’t realize you had or didn’t feel it at the time, now that you’re outside do you see how it affected you?

- Yes, you notice that even when you’re no longer there people are still talking about you and that means that people miss you and in some way they miss a ‘name’, now there are new players coming in and they will have to accept that responsibility and it’s not easy. Perhaps, when I arrived at Atleti I slowly took on that responsibility on my own not realizing it and now that I’m at a different club I see what it is to have the ease of mind of just going on about my job and not having to worry about every little aspect of the club.

Not having all the eyes set on you alone?

- Yes, but I’m not talking about just on the pitch but all the outside stuff. Every little thing that went on at the club somewhat gets brought to your attention. Even when you try to stay from other matters it ends up affecting you somehow whether you like it or not.

That’s why I’m convinced you needed the change and Atletico de Madrid as well because I think that in the present-day Atleti you had no-one to look up to because you couldn’t , what’s there to look up to? And despite that you were insultingly young, too young to become a role-model, no? That’s why I believe it’s been phenomenal for you to change places…

- I think so. We made a decision knowing it would be best for both parties, for me and the club as well. I think time will prove us right, sooner or later but it will. The club needed to build a new team that doesn’t rely on one player. And for me, it was great to start over at a new club where I don’t have that same pressure and it’s been that way for me. I come at a club like Liverpool and I look at the captains, players with a lot more experience than I have and you realize how much they bring to a team in terms of experience, something I lacked when I had to play that role at Atletico. Becoming a captain so young brings a lot of responsibility along with it and perhaps I wasn’t ready to take on that responsibility at a big club like Atletico de Madrid not really knowing what it means to be a captain. Now that I’m at Liverpool I look at how the captains behave and how they do many things I didn’t do because there was nobody there to teach me these things.

For example?

- It’s mostly the respect they command… not just because the way they go about things or because of all the titles they've won, which are many, but in the way they bring along the new players and the young players that train with us and how they are the first ones in line and ready to do things and the way the gain the respect of their peers because of their hard work. I think it’s a different philosophy to ours in Spain but I was very impressed by it. They are the first ones to take you in when you arrive not just a different club but a different country as well with different customs and any time you need anything, apart from the Spaniards of course, it’s these two players, Carragher and Gerrard, they are the ones that carry the weight of the team and the idols of the supporters and they are the ones that try to make things easier for you.

Was it tough for you to take that first step to leave?

- It’s a difficult decision. not only football-wise but on a personal level as well. You’re leaving many things behind in Madrid and many dreams left to achieve at the Club you grew up with and you have to start all over again from zero. Whatever name you’ve made for yourself doesn’t count anymore and you have to prove yourself all over again and perhaps with the added pressure of the big sum of the transfer fee and what it means to a group of supporters who have their sights set very clearly on winning silverware every season.

But I mean personally, obviously it’s your decision but how much influence do others around you have. Like your parents, your girlfriend, many others….for example, what did you parents make of all this?

- [laughs]Honestly, at first my mother didn’t…

That’s what I mean, your dad was probably like ‘do whatever you want son’ but your mum? No?

- Yeah but at the end my girlfriend is the one person that’s with me most of the time and she is perhaps the one’s that’s seen me when I’m sad. She doesn’t give me the ‘go-ahead’ but she stands by my decision because she knows how rough it’s been for me for sometimes and at the end the important thing is to be happy, no?

But now my parents have been over and they saw the CL match where I didn’t play but they left the stadium really happy even if they didn’t get to see me play and they were there for the 6-0 as well and they enjoyed it very much. Now perhaps they realize it’s the best thing for me but at first the decision is a tough one to make.

So it’s just you and your girlfriend in Liverpool?

- Yes but my friends, siblings and parents have come over to visit me already.

And what’s your impression on everything over there?

- On the football side it’s amazing. It’s a great club in every sense of the word, where you’re never missing anything. The atmosphere in the stadium is fantastic, I had never seen anything like it before in Spain.

- I do now [laughs] because Rafa makes us speak in English

But you knew a little bit already….

- Not really. You think you know the language but once you get there and people start speaking to you in English you realize all the stuff you’ve learned is worthless [laughs]

You both have a professor?

- Yes, the club provides a professor for us but the most important thing is the day to day stuff and learning from your team-mates…

And at what time are your English classes?

- It depends on our training session. They adjust to our training schedule and sometimes they come home or we go to the training ground or they come with us when we go shopping…

Your girlfriend too?

- Yes.

And the club provide a house for you too?

- Well, you tell them what you’re looking for and in a week or so they come back with a huge itinerary of houses to look at [laughs]

And what have you chosen, something smaller for the two of you?

- As of right now we’re just getting to know the different areas and looking at the drive time to the training ground, the airport, the city centre…we’re looking for an area that is centrally located and we’re looking at the option that’s best for us.

And where are you living now?

- In a house close to the other Spaniards. Close to Pepe by the airport but I’m still looking.

And what about the driving? Have you had any scares yet? Because Luis Garcia told me once that he took out five or six side mirrors the first time!

- [laughs] he warned me! And Xabi as well…to be careful the first few days, it’s very tense at first you’re trying to get used to the new way of driving at every intersection

Alcala- The roundabouts! You don’t even know where you’re supposed to exit

- I’m ok with those but the intersections are more confusing because I don’t where the cars are coming from or if they’re turning right or left or where I’m supposed to turn to. I’m much better now but at first I was frozen a few times and people must’ve been thinking where did this bloke come from!?

You’re driving an English[type] car?

- Yes, the club gave us a car. I wanted to bring mine from Spain but it’s best I use the wheel on the right side.

Nah but you wouldn’t take your car over then. And now if your girlfriend asks you ‘lend me the car I need to go shopping’ then you’re like ‘Sure, have a go at it’

One thing I’ve noticed is that you’ve adapted really well to the Premier Leauge. You scored that goal against Chelsea and then you score two against Derby…

- It’s important that we’re getting good results in our favour and winning makes things easier but we’ve still got a long way to go. It’s a big change, new country and perhaps now I value more the things that some of my former team-mates that arrived at Atleti went through. When they first come to the Spanish league and they need some time to adapt and some people don’t understand why but it’s a difficult process when you come to a new country and everything is different. Not just a new coin, but the driving is different, new habits and a new way of living so you need some time to get used to and I’m not fully adapted yet.

It’s true that it’s been somewhat easier for me because of the results and the help from my team-mates and even the people in the city that are always making sure you’re comfortable but we still got time.

And what are the training sessions like? I know Rafa Benitez is a Spanish manager but he’s a very peculiar person. How is it different to a training session in Spain?

- It’s different to what I was used to because at Liverpool we play more matches and we usually have to play midweek so the training is more aimed at recovering fitness and preparing for the next match. I wasn’t really used to this kind of training and it’s been somewhat surprising. It’s more individualized and we may only train as a group twice a week and the rest of the time is more player-specific. Also, it is a lot calmer working at Melwood where we train behind close doors and we get to work the entire morning, it’s very different.

And you stay there to eat….

- Yes we do breakfast and lunch at the training ground.

You weren’t used to that…

- No, it’s different but it’s very helpful for me because I can learn English faster from talking to the people there and you get to spend time with the boys from the reserves, which I believe is very beneficial for them to get used to being with us so that when they get a call to train with the first team we already know each other better and it’s good for the team spirit. The atmosphere is much better because you spend all this time together.

And why did you choose the number 9? Did you get to choose it or was it offered to you?

- When the transfer went through I asked for it. I knew that Fowler was leaving and the number was available and Rafa said yes. He asked me if I knew what it meant to wear that number here and if I wanted it I could have it.

You say the training sessions are behind closed doors. Is it always like that?

- Yes. The fans aren't allowed in and the media only come once or twice a month. They may record some video or take some pictures once or twice a month.

So the press is very different in England?

- Yes, there really aren’t any specialized sports papers and they don’t have the same daily following like we do in Spain. The tabloid papers might dedicate five or six pages to sports but…

But they’re very obsessed with the gossip!

- Yes, they don’t have the sports papers but they do sell the tabloids which is more about the gossip and rumours and the stories that nobody knows whether they are really true, it’s a different story. Then on match day there is more coverage about the match, the previews or about the Champions League but the day-to-day is nothing like Spain.

And the refereeing?. Is it better in England than Spain? I did a programme once from Liverpool with all your team-mates: Pepe Reina, Luis Garcia (when he was still there), Xabi Alonso… and the told me that cheating is something they really despise. Things like diving to get a penalty or fake injury or exaggerate an aggression, that’s something they’re not very keen on…?

- Yes I don’t really think the refs are better or worse but the players in English football are more honest, more pure and they don’t like cheating because even your own team-mates will get on your back. I’m sure if you were to win a match because you dived and won a penalty even your own team-mates would be mad at you. The like to win doing things the right way and the refs benefit from that. They know that unless the foul is really a foul is difficult for the players to go down, you’d almost have to kill them…so they allow a lot more contact. There is more action and less stop time because less fouls are called but I’m not saying they’re better or worse. I think if the players in Spain helped the refs more then we could see the same type of refereeing.

And what seems to have almost disappeared is the ‘Hooligans’. They don’t do the same sort of thing that used to happen before right?

- Yes, I think it’s also seen in a negative way. They’re very small groups and it’s something they want to eradicate. The idea that people have of English supporters, of the European nights or late kickoffs, of how violent they get and the trouble they create wherever they go…that’s disappearing because it’s not seen with a keen eye.

That did a lot of harm to English football

- Yes, but now that I’m there and see what the supporters are really like it’s a completely different story so I’m not sure if its something that used to happen a long time ago or if it’s just a myth about something that happened long ago and people keep bringing up but I still haven’t seen that sort of thing.

And now that you know the regular English person, from the street now that you’ve been there a couple of months, what’s your impression?

- I think they’re very respectful. They know when to approach you, they don’t come over when you’re having a meal or when you’re spending time with your family. They usually will wait until you’re done eating dinner even if they have to wait a long time or if you’re in the training ground and they want an autograph and you’re fifty meters outside they won’t ask. It’s different, they know how to separate the personal life from life at the training ground. There are always exceptions but in general that’s how they behave. Also, the Liverpool fans is a very enthusiastic one, they might say ‘come on’ and that’s it they don’t get on top of you or start following you.

And what are the papers saying about Fernando Torres?

- [laughs] The truth is that it’s still a bit early for me to read the English press…

Yes but I’m sure they translate it for you…?

- No, honestly since there isn’t that daily following I probably get more news from Spain on the internet.

So what’s your day like. At what time do you wake up?

- Usually we need to be at Melwood by 9:15 AM so I’ll get up at 8:30. Then at 12:30 we have a meal and we’re home by 1.

You start training at what time?

- at 10. at 9:15 we eat breakfast

Is it a strong breakfast like the English like?

- Well, we have possibilities. Whatever you want, you can choose to eat a lot or not.

But you don’t eat that much

- No, no[laughs]so far I don’t.

And then you eat again at 12:15PM?

- Yes, 12:30PM or so. It depends at what time we finish. And then we go home. We’ll now that we’ve just gotten there there’s a lot of paperwork to do, the TV, changing banks, the car, it’s a bit hectic. And when you don’t really know what’s going on it’s worse [laughs]

And what’s it like to live in Liverpool?

- So far it’s been good. I’ve also had a lot of people come over and that’s helped me. It’s a small city but there’s a bit of everything, good restaurants, good shopping centres, and nice places to go for a walk and the only drawback is the weather.

But the food is not like in Spain, it’s terrible

- Not quite but there are some nice places.

I went with Morientes and Alcala’s friends to this place that was sort of imitating a Spanish restaurant but they served an octopus that was like eating razor blades

Alcala- [laughs] But there are better ones. There’s a few Italian restaurants that are quite good in Victoria Street.

The Spanish restaurants are not quite like we would imagine

Alcala- Jose Ramon, it’s also been a couple of Summer months and Fernando was telling me that he’s had a taste of the British weather but aren’t you a bit, not scared but respectful of the winter when it’s quite cold and at 3 pm it’s all dark and people don’t come out of their homes, when the shopping centers are closed, little social life. Because there are people like Xabi Alonso, who is very happy and has adapted very well and on the other side Fernando Morientes who had a tougher time with all that

- Well you never know, I’m not sure, we’ll see. That’s why I say there’s still a lot of time to go and be able to say I have adapted because everybody says that the winter is rough and difficult…right now for me I don’t think it will be a problem but we’ll see because at the end the important thing is to play football and that sort of weather is good for the matches, the state of the pitches and how we might approach a game.

Do you get to see a lot of Spanish football there?

- I’ve seen some, more highlights now with all the TV problems in Spain but we do follow it.