When real Madrid juice Real Betis at the Bernabéu last Saturday, one of The leagueThe best strikers were looking to add to their tally of four goals in the young season.
we’re not talking about Karim Benzemahowever, he still has three goals in the league, but the Betis striker borja churcheswhich is right behind Barcelona‘s Robert Lewandowski Y Celta Vigo‘s Iago Blades in the top scorer career (both with five goals).
Iglesias, 29, has been around for a while. He went through the Celta de Vigo youth academy, shone on loan at Real Zaragoza and made himself known in the top flight with Spanishwhere 17 league goals in 2018-19 convinced Betis to sign him for 30 million euros.
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But he had never had a start to the season like this: scoring in Betis’ opening 3-0 victory over elcheconverting two penalties in a 2-1 win at Majorca and scored the only goal in a 1-0 win over Osasuna. It’s the kind of form that gets people talking about a surprise call for Spain at the 2022 World Cup, for a player who has never played for his country, at any level.
Iglesias, nicknamed ‘Panda’ by his teammates due to his love for it. Desiigner song you couldn’t get out of your head in 2016 — has never been a conventional footballer.
As a child, he was so obsessed with football that he would have his parents take him to the nearby Santiago de Compostela airport late at night in the hope that they would coincide with LaLiga teams returning home from an afternoon game against Celta de Vigo to ask for photos. and autographs.
In 2020, he began painting his nails black, saying it was a small gesture meant to remind himself to use his position to fight racism and homophobia. “I also have to admit that I like it.” tweeted.
While he was unable to score for the first time past a close friend Thibaut Courtois — both share a love for video games and have invested together in the DUX Gaming eSports team — Iglesias and company made an admirable effort in the 2-1 loss that saw Betis lose only their game of the season (stream the replay on ESPN+ in the US.)
Before the game, Iglesias spoke with ESPN’s Martin Ainstein for a new episode of The bike diariestalking about his form, mental health and his admiration for Benzema.
Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for clarity.
ESPN: How do you explain this improvement in goal scoring?
Churches: Is incredible. Sometimes if you sit and think about it too much, you feel a little dizzy.
ESPN: It is difficult to enjoy things in such a professional environment, with so much pressure, with so much stress.
Churches: Totally. Sometimes I think it’s been harder for me to be at my best, because I wasn’t enjoying it. The pressure I was putting on myself was asking so much of me that I couldn’t enjoy it. I wasn’t connecting with my true self, with what I like, which is playing football, right? So of course you’re not performing at your best. I was stressed. Sometimes I went to bed saying that I had not enjoyed my day. It made no sense, because he was doing what he had dreamed of since he was little.
ESPN: You are one of the few footballers who has opened up, who humanizes the profession, and that is necessary. With footballers being where they are, earning what they earn, having a high-profile position in society, they are expected to be a robot, to be almost perfect in absolutely everything. And that can be counterproductive.
Churches: Yes, the truth is that I think it is something that we have to normalize, and not only within sport. Mental well-being is very important, but of course sometimes it’s hard to say you’re not okay. Because sometimes it’s like ‘How come it’s not cool if he’s a footballer, he makes money and the fans love him?’ Well, sometimes, for whatever reason, you’re not okay. Sometimes it feels like you’re okay financially, or you’re in the news, or you’re doing what you really enjoy, or whatever, but it’s not okay. Sometimes all these factors do not allow you to be well. It feels like something you can’t say, but the reality is that it happens sometimes.
ESPN: You have said that you have been in therapy, that you have seen a psychologist.
Churches: I have always felt supported by [my teammates], and the coaching staff, and the professionals who help you with these things because they are trained in it and have the tools to help you reconnect with yourself and feel happy again, to enjoy. For me, [the psychologists] They have given me a way of seeing life that I was not allowed to see because it was too demanding.
ESPN: It’s like you have to be strong, do everything right, because in a certain way if I have this, if I have that…
Churches: Of course, how can you not be well if you have everything? And the truth is that sometimes I felt that way. He used to say ‘I can’t be wrong’. And of course you can be wrong. Of course, one day you can get up and not want to go to training, or another day you go to bed and say ‘what the f—– day’, forgive the expression. Sometimes it happens, and you also need those days to appreciate the really good things. If everything went well, it would be too easy, right? You won’t make much progress if things don’t get tough. I have suffered in that process, but I also appreciate it very much.
I think it’s nice to leave the typical interview, talking only about football. I would like to see colleagues doing something like this, because they have a lot to offer. Sometimes you don’t want to, or the situation doesn’t allow it, or whatever, but the stereotype that footballers have nothing to offer really annoys me. Obviously, there are people who are more qualified, because of their circumstances in life. Everyone’s experience is different. There are experiences that my colleagues have had that they could talk about, and then I can talk about others. It’s good to listen to other people. Many times you put yourself in their place and, as we said, you see that they are people you idolize or admire for whatever reason, but who also have your problems.
ESPN: What was a key moment for you?
[Betis captain] Andrew Saved had a big impact on me at a difficult time [last season]. We play at home against Seville, the team played very well and I was very bad. I lost the ball a couple of times, when I practically tripped over the ball. That day I went home feeling very depressed. She found out and sent me a message. I remember him telling me: “You’re at your best as a footballer and we all believe in you. Keep going, there’s not much left.”
And two weeks later I scored twice (against real society in the Copa del Rey on January 26). Since then, I’ve had two seasons, or one and a half plus the beginning of this one, that have been really good. I think that message helped me a lot because that day I needed someone to tell me exactly that. And of course, when Andrés Guardado tells you that, who has played or is going to play his fifth World Cup (with Mexico), it’s amazing.
ESPN: The balance that you have in the locker room is achieved in part thanks to players with a lot of experience who know how to contribute something to strengthen the group.
Churches: Totally. What they give us on the field, which is a lot, is nothing compared to what they give us off the field. They see things differently, and they are people who have the ability to express it and help you with three words, at a time when you are not even aware of what is happening. They have been a fundamental part of the well-being of the group, because in good times they know how to keep all feet on the ground, and in difficult times they know how to be positive, help us grow.
ESPN: What is it like to face a striker like Karim Benzema?
Churches: The truth is that it is one of the [players] I enjoy watching more. I have enjoyed watching it for years. In a way, he has been a bit of a role model for me, seeing that he has been criticized, that there were a lot of doubts about him. I also think that what is admirable is the ability he has to adapt to the needs of the team. More than he would really like, because I’m sure he would like to be the main man, always scoring goals and all that, he has adapted.
ESPN: Is that what you would highlight about him, that maturity, intelligence and adaptability?
Churches: Yes, I think those three things are what have helped Karim take that step forward in recent years. In terms of technique, we are talking about perhaps the most technical forward that exists, with an enormous scoring ability. It’s a pleasure to watch, because when you see him live you realize that he doesn’t lose a single ball. Every touch is good, every touch makes sense. It doesn’t look fast, but it is fast. It’s very good, very good.
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