Health is more important than football: Gaizka Mendieta

NEW DELHI: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected people from all strata of society. Former Spanish midfielder Gaizka Mendieta had to stay back in London as the virus ravaged his homeland where his parents still live. The former Valencia and Barcelona player is a much-relieved man now that things are on the mend back home with the government also allowing certain relaxations. This daily caught up with the 46-year-old and spoke on a variety of footballing topics as well as life beyond the beautiful game. Excerpts...

The Spanish government has finally allowed some relaxation. You must be a relieved man

Yes, just a few days ago, children up to 14 years old were allowed to go outside and play while being under adult supervision. This happened for the first time in six weeks and the country is slowly coming back to life. I'm based in the UK and here we are in the fifth week of the lockdown. People are allowed to go outside for an hour for a walk or a bit of exercise and it makes a big difference mentally more than anything. These past few weeks have not been easy at all for everybody involved.

Is resuming football leagues the right call? Should it be discussed at all under the current circumstances?

Guidelines issued by the health authorities and the government should be followed. Clubs and football authorities should not take that call. There are lives at stake here and health is much more important than just football. Football clubs should strictly adhere to these guidelines. If and when that call is taken, like a few EPL clubs are doing currently, authorities should look into something like training in batches and ensuring no rules are broken. But I also have to admit that it is difficult for smaller clubs.

Do you think football without the fans is the right call?

I'm sure nobody has experienced something like this. I have to agree that playing without fans feels weird. Sports in general, and football in particular, thrives on the passion of the fans. Without them, a competitive game will feel like a glorified training season. I have played once without fans and it was a weird experience. You could hear every shout, your voice would echo around the empty stadium and once somebody scored, they did not realise whether to celebrate or not! Players always say fans are like the 12th man. They give us energy to keep fighting, push us if we are trailing, get behind you when the chips are down. Players can prepare for that eventuality if informed earlier but there would no actual momentum during the game. It would not feel right. But if the various leagues and their associations decide that this is the only way out, players will have to learn to deal with it.

Recently, there was a lot of talk surrounding clubs trying to negotiate a salary cut amid the coronavirus while government officials were also quite vocal on players agreeing to such deductions. Is this fair?

Footballers are an easy target as they are always in the public eye through the news. Certain things need to be taken into account while discussing this issue. The range of professional footballers range from the fourth division to the top rung and the contract is also not similar. Basically not everybody is earning millions. I agree top players have to lead by example and be a shining light during these times and I know of many players who are doing loads of great charity activities. There are other professions where you are as well paid if not more. It is all about humanity and personal preference is what I feel.

Your generation had lots of individual talents but the national team could never win on the big stage. How do you assess the current generation and what are the things that the team needs to inculcate to replicate the glories of the past?

For starters, we are missing Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Cesc Fabregas (laughs). That was an incredible team and it is very difficult to replicate such a talented generation. The current team also has a lot of potential and even in the future, we will continue to have prodigies because of the system in Spain. But it takes time and a lot of effort to assemble elite players in the same generation. During my team, we had great players but due to one reason or the other, we just could not get over the line. The current coach Luis Enrique needs to continue to work on small aspects and find the right balance and mould the team in his own image.

Looking back at your own career, how do you look at individual laurels as compared to missed opportunities like those two Champions League final losses?

Mostly, I try to forget unless someone brings that up (laughs). On a serious note, I don't have any regrets as I have won in most countries that I have played in and I have represented a few of the biggest clubs in the world. There will be losses along the way and no sportsperson wants to lose. We always yearn for more silverware but I rate the collective trophies that I have won along the way much higher. Like in 2001, I won the UEFA best midfielder award but lost the Champions League final.

You are into DJing, and also run a successful restaurant business back home. How important is it for professional athletes to plan ahead once their careers are done?

It is very important to have other hobbies and passions and, like this pandemic has again taught us, football is not everything. There are much more important things in life. I found my calling in music and the fact that I can share it with fans is another added bonus. Through my restaurant chain, we are also serving free food for frontline workers as well. A balance needs to be found. My advice is that a footballer's career will eventually come to an end and they should be better prepared to handle it once that time comes. Maybe during the latter stages of one's vocation, players can try and figure out what they want in life.

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