Exclusive: SPORT interview former Barcelona man Isaac Cuenca
Isaac Cuenca comes with Granada to Camp Nou this weekend and is looking forward to taking on his former side
Are you going to settle down at a club?
The truth is for a player to be settled at a team is important, a club where you have years with confidence, the ambient around you and somewhere you know. For now that hasn't been the case.
Granada?
Still no. Well, when the year ends I'll have a year and a half more here, more time than I was at Depor and in Turkey. And for the moment I am content, I am happy, I am well.
Granada are fighting relegation. Are you used to that yet?
From leaving Barça, more or less. At Depor we suffered until the last week. Last year at Granda, until the penultimate week, when we won at Sevilla. In Turkey no, we were doing well, but more or less two years fighting relegation, you gan experience.
How does a player leaving Barça cope with this?
The first year was the most difficult, you know what you have to do after that. Which is to train to the maximum and compete to the maximum. And do the best you can. Later you see how the team goes, wahr you are doing, the league... and later come the final few weeks, which are crazy. Really crazy!
It's passionate football.
It's totally different. It's passionate, the people and the city live it. And there are many people that depend on salvation because if you don't save yourself, you go down to the Segunda. It's not like losing a final and saying, maybe we'll win it next year. No. Many people depend on us and this makes us nervous.
To play at Camp Nou is good or bad for your situation?
We're not here to throw away the game. We will go out to try and get the best result possible and go for everything. We go how we always go, 100 per cent. You never know what will happen, look at Alaves.
What will go through your head when you come out at Camp Nou?
Well, really, I will be focused on the game, not looking at the opponent more than anything. And to do what we have planned to be the most professional possible and to do well individually to help the team.
Not long ago you were on the other side...
Yes, it was an amazing time, I was with Guardiola and I played a lot of games, including the semi-finals of the Champions League. And I was very happy.
The UCL. Do you miss it?
Yes, a lot. Yes, yes, yes. The Champions is the maximum level and to play it.... The hymn too, is very nice.
Do you have any issues from your time at Barcelona?
Well, more than issues, these clubs are so... they are the best of all! And you get injured and you're out for so long. And then you get injured again. More than issues, what stays is a bit of reality. When you are there and you get injured twice, seriously, you say: "It's time to go."
There's no other...
No, there's no other. And they changed the coach much. Maybe if it had been Pep, they might say "give him confidence, so he returns, etc," but with so much change...
You survived the injury and are back in the top flight...
The hits mature you, but the truth is that experiences outside of Barça have been very positive. I am very happy at 25, to have been at teams like these and played in different categories.
