Diego López, listo para LaLiga EA Sports X FC 25 Rush: “De haber podido, habría elegido a Pavón”

He turned 43 a month ago and the football bug still bites him. Diego Lopez (Paradela, 1981) will play alongside other La Liga legends against famous players this Friday LaLiga EA Sports X FC 25 Rush. It will be in a special format, Rush, and half FC 25 in the video game, half “real”. The Galician is attracted by the challenge and the format, which is especially demanding for a goalkeeper. He also has time to talk to MARCA about the championship. Mbappe and his past.

How did they convince you to take on this challenge?

The theme of the gathering of former professionals and presenters caught my attention. And everything to do with LaLiga and EA Sports is fun, fun and it’s going to be a very cool event.

Do you know what Rush format is?

They explained it to me a bit. It’s still a little unknown to me, but they explained a little how it works.

What are your expectations?

I think above all it’s going to be something new, something different and bring it a little bit closer. Feel and experience those kinds of new rules, new challenges. Ultimately, I’m also trying to help people more know about this.

The Rush format is especially difficult for the goalkeeper.Smaller field but just as big goals…

Yeah, that caught my attention a little bit. When I was reading the rules and they were explaining them to me, I was a little bit like, ‘damn, this is going to be a storm of goals,’ because they ended up being a lot closer are spaces, and if the goal is the same, it will be complicated for us. And we’re not at our best either, but hey, we’ll try to live up to it, and we’ll also try to make some interesting saves from our goalkeepers, who are probably always considered less impressive.

Are you a video game user?

I played when I was younger, now the truth is I haven’t.. the family thing etc… you get a little older, or at least I get a little away from video games, but I did play when I was younger.

You’ll trust them all on the field, but who do you trust the most among your teammates in video game mode?

I don’t have the pleasure of meeting them yet and neither do I, as I’m quite averse to these things… Let’s see what happens and we’ll also try to learn from them, enjoy them and have a good time.

Don’t you know how Morientes, Figo and Puyol play? He met them during his football career.

Not really. There are teammates who I know have been very geeky and played a lot, especially when we were young, in my early days at Madrid, but with Luis, Fernando and Carles and Vero (Bocquet), I don’t know. whether they play or not.

Puyol takes all kinds of games seriously…

Puyi was an example for all athletes. Although he played for Barca (laughs), he was an example of his professionalism, his work, his honesty on the pitch got to share two years with him in the national team and the truth is that it is from these people that you learn that they are nice to be with and that they have the philosophy of the sport.

Have you seen your rivals play football?

It is a surprise. I think that surely one of the five will surprise us and be a good player. I think it always happens. And some of us, I’m sure not, will be fine playing EA Sports FC 25.

You play this challenge as a La Liga legend. He is the fourth oldest player to play in the Spanish league. Do you know who the three are who are superior to you?

Yes, goalkeeper Pepe. I was the oldest, but Pepe… only lived a year. Joaquin… I couldn’t tell you the other day. (That’s Harry Lowe)

Out of all the partners you have had throughout your career, who would you choose for this challenge?

Perhaps I remember Paco Pavone, who was very fond of video games. I played a lot at that time. I don’t know if he’s still in shape today in video games, I know in football he really plays against veterans, etc. I could pick him.

How do you see La Liga?

Entertainment. About a month ago, after Barca’s victory in Madrid, perhaps no one expected what happened next. It’s great that it’s all happening and there’s a super competitive league at the top and a lot of parity at the bottom as well. I think the relegation is going to be very close this year, there are a lot of teams that are at the start but with a few points. . And the European area too. I think the most important thing is that it’s a competitive league, that there are things at play in every game.

You know Madrid well. How can you always be there? A month ago he seemed dead…

At the end of the day, it’s Madrid… Yes, the Clasico game hurt them a lot as it went. make up for defeats, fall and rise, and although it was; A year From the outside, it’s a bit more difficult for them because of the Champions League, which they suffer in that competition, I believe that Madrid will eventually be there and fight for all the titles, as they do every year. And Barca, having an incredible start to the season, A little bit of a decline, which is logical, but I see a team that is also very organized, very hardworking, with great players, very young. After all, the championship for Atlético. with, which has also had a very good series in the last few games, it will be interesting.

Do you share the criticism of Mbappe?

You have to give time, it’s difficult. He comes to a club he obviously knows but doesn’t know the impact of playing in Madrid, and when you’re a star like he is, he’s in a position that’s perhaps not the most common for him in recent years. I think he also needs to get to know his teammates, get to know the club and let his teammates get to know him. In that sense, Ancelotti and his coaching staff will help him a lot to integrate and understand the game and the team better. Yes, that’s right personal opinion, he has not yet reached the level he has and that we really expect in Madrid.

You know Ancelotti, he was the starting goalkeeper in the 13-14 Liga, Decima season.

Very good season, very positive. In the end we won two titles. We managed to lift the Décima, which was an unusual thing to see from the inside. As for a certain level, it’s a little different because there were rotations and last year it was the same goalkeeper for all the tournaments, that’s the most common. : Well, after that, I think the other clubs also chose to split and give games to the two goalkeepers. Maybe we’re different, a very special position, but we also have to rotate and if both players are ready, it’s great to be able to rotate.

Casillas and Diego Lopez, there were guarantees of rotation.

We tried… It’s not easy, because in the end it was a change for both of us. A small change in the scheme as well. In football, in clubs like Madrid, it was not common to rotate, but later it was done in other very important clubs and nothing happens.

Mourinho even said at the press conference that he liked you more than Casillas… how did you live all that?

Well, usually, because in the end I did my job, I tried to be as good as possible and I felt that confidence from the coach, which is very important to perform at your highest level and also to really enjoy what it was like to be back at my club, my home and what I’ve always dreamed of: to be in the starting team for Real Madrid, to play in European tournaments, to play in finals.

Has your relationship with Casillas been affected?

No, maybe everything looks outward, but it is true that each of us is competitive, each wants to play, each wants to be on the field. But from that to the bad feelings… there’s never been any problem between the two of us and our tension and stuff, we’ve tried to work it out as best we can.

If you had to choose between the coaches you had for this Friday’s challenge, who would you choose?

Wow, it’s very difficult. I think… I don’t know. I have had many good coaches, I have had different styles and I have not been able to stay with any of them. I have tried to learn from everyone, everyone has helped me and in the end all that remains for me, the long career that I have had, to be able to develop over the years in that sense as well. I think that coaches have developed a lot from 20 or 25 years ago to now, and football players. It also somewhat coincides with what sports in general and football are.

How do you see “your” Espanyol and “your” Villarreal?

I follow him. After all, I follow those two a lot, especially because it’s where I’ve been the longest, where I’ve felt the most loved, along with Real Madrid, of course. Well, I think Villarreal a lot is having a good season, they have a great team, a great coach and from there we know what the club is like, their organizational mentality, work, etc. And Espanyol are suffering a bit more, but I think that the club and the team already realized that it is a year where they have to suffer, where they have to try to be as successful as possible, to try to be as far as possible. from decline positions. It’s going to be a season where there’s going to be a lot of competition for me. No one has taken it yet and they’re all close. I hope they stay in the First Division this year for the sake of the club and everyone very important to everyone’s future and the great fans they have behind them.

What do you think about the Ballon d’Or?

I’m very happy for Rodri because a Spanish player finally won it, the truth is after so many years when we were close I think it was hugely unfair to many of our players, Iniesta, Xavi, Raul and many others. , who could have chosen that award, and they didn’t get it. But on the other hand, I think Vinicius’ year deserved that award as well. But hey, in the end, like everything else, it’s respectable. There are opinions, there are tastes. On the one hand, I’m very happy that it’s Rodri, but on the other hand, I feel a little bit what Vinicius did last year as a football fan and as a Real Madrid fan, you have a bit of a bitter taste in that sense. .