A winner at FC Barcelona this season is Oscar Mingueza, who made his way to the first team from La Masia. In an interview, he spoke about his debut against Dynamo Kiev, about working with Lionel Messi and the reason that he thought about a move at times.
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In an interview with the Catalan daily newspaper The vanguard spoke Oscar Mingueza…
… about his debut in Kiev: “I was a little nervous all day because I didn’t know if I was going to play or not. But when I knew I would be in the starting XI, my nerves calmed down. I felt no pressure because I thought I was facing the game of my life. Ter Stegen and Lenglet came and told me to be quiet. I’m very grateful to them, it was a great feeling, especially when the game was over and I was relaxed. It was a unique experience. ”
… when asked whether his life has changed since then: “My daily life is the same. I still do the same things with my girlfriend, my dogs. I go to training, I see my family, I play computer games with my friends … The only thing I noticed is that people recognize me on the street. They even stop me at the traffic lights! I try to be as close to them as possible. ”
… about his discovery by Barça scout Jordi Font at the age of seven at a game of his youth club Sant Perpètua: “I was very young, but I remember having a fever between 38 and 39 degrees that day. And my parents said to me: ‘If the doctor lets you, then you can play, but if not, then not.’ That was after I insisted because I really wanted to play. I’ve been waiting all week for the weekend to come to play this game … and then my dad told me that Font told him [nach dem Spiel] asked for me without knowing that he was my father. And that’s where it all started. “
… when asked if he had the feeling that he had flown under the radar at Barça all these years: “In general, it is more difficult for a defense attorney to be noticed and it is true that there have been others who have been talked about more than me. I was never the superstar or the high-flyer, but in the end I played and got promoted in the youth teams. ”
… when asked whether he had thought of leaving Barça in the meantime: “Yes, at Barça B I thought about switching because I didn’t play a lot. I’m not saying that I had offers, but I thought about the idea of looking for some because after all, you have to play to develop and get noticed by other people. I have now also realized that my attitude was not the best. “
… about his idols at Barça: “I grew up with the duo Carles Puyol and Gerard Piqué, they were my two idols. I identified myself more with Piqué because I was never an extremely aggressive player, I used more of my intuition or intelligence to conquer balls because physical tackles are not my forte. I also had a lot of enthusiasm for Umtiti, he was one of my favorite players. ”
… when asked whether Eric Garcia would be a good fit for Barça: “Yes, after all, he’s a player who grew up in La Masia and grew up in Guardiola’s Manchester City – a team whose philosophy is very similar to Barça’s of pressing and standing very tall with the lines. It’s a spectacular center-back. “
… when asked what he prefers to play as a center-back or as a full-back: “I feel more comfortable playing as a central defender. But I always like being a full-back more. Wherever I play, I will always try to do my best. ”
… about other current talents in La Masia: “There are players with a lot of potential. Àlex Collado and Oriol Busquets, who is unlucky with injuries at the moment, but has been with the club for many years, are my age. There is also Ilaix [Moriba] and Konrad [de la Fuente]who have already played in the first team. And if you look further down, Nico Gonzalez and Alejandro Balde also rise strongly. There are some good players who I hope will get their chances. “
… about Lionel Messi, whom you see smiling around young players: “He is happy with the team. We try to stick together, to be united and to work well, and in the end the most important thing is that we are together, strive, and have a good attitude. I hope he stays, it’s a pleasure for me to play with him. “
… when asked which teammates he gets along with best: “Especially good with the Catalans, with Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, who eventually grew up here too. But I get on very well with everyone, they welcomed me very well, they took great care of me and I am extremely grateful to them. “
… about the recent contract extension of Àlex Collado and about the fact that his own contract, which expired in June this year, has not yet been extended: “I’m very happy for Àlex, we have shared many moments and many years at Barça. As for my renewal, we’ll start talking about it soon and see how it goes. I am optimistic. “
… about the possible double: “That is the goal. As long as we have the chance, we will fight to the end. In the end, it’s all about continuing with this attitude, with this intensity, with and without the ball. “
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