Skip to main content

Hinchas y Jugadores - An exclusive interview with Roger Riera (19th May, 2017)

When did you make the decision to pursue football and what motivated you to do so?

I started to play football when I was 4. I always liked football and I really enjoy playing football. That's the best motivation I have to play football.

How did it feel like progressing through the ranks of La Masia?

I started playing football at Gimnàstic Manresa, a football club from my hometown (Manresa). When I was 9 years old I moved to Barça and I spend there 9 seasons. It was like living a dream and every time I progressed a step up I felt amazing and proud.

What do you think La Masia does differently, apart from football philosophy, that sets it apart from other youth academies?

I think that in La Masia you can progress as a footballer, but what's most important, you progress as a person. Thanks to them I keep studying my Business Degree at the university and I think that everyone that has the luck to spend some time in La Masia becomes a better footballer but what's more important, a better person and ready to take new challenges.

You played for Barcelona's Juvenil A side and helped them win the UEFA Youth League - how would you describe that experience and did you feel a future first team opportunity was coming your way?

I think that winning the UYL was one of the best experiences I had at Barça. It's an amazing tournament with great teams, great players and that it's very difficult to win.

After winning it, I never thought of progressing to the first team. Obviously every player at Barça has the dream to play for Barça first team, but at that moment, after Juvenil A (under 19) we all had the dream to progress and play for Barça B. I couldn't reach that step but as I said before I'm very proud of what I did at Barça because I gave my 100%.

What motivated you to move to Nottingham and what were your initial thoughts on the idea of leaving Spain? Was it a difficult decision?

I always liked English football and I'm a big fan of the Premier League. I wanted to live a new experience and I couldn't have had a better chance. Nottingham Forest it's a big club that helped me a lot to keep progressing as a footballer.

Did you feel welcome in Nottingham and how easy or difficult was it for you to adapt? 

Every one tried to helped me. It's not easy when you have to move from your country into another culture and language. It was also another football philosophy and tactics but I think I learned English quite quickly and that I adapt myself quite good at Nottingham Forest. As I said that's thanks to Gary Brazil, Jimmy Gilligan and the rest of the people working at the club.

How different are the playing and coaching styles in Spain compared to Nottingham, and how would you describe your stint there?

It's another style of football. More physical and less tactic in my opinion, but at the end of the day it's very competitive like in Spain.

The first season I spend at Forest it was really good. We won our U-21 league and I played a lot of games that helped me to progress.

The second season I started the preseason and the first bit of the season with the first team and I was involved with them but I never had the chance to play with the first team. Then it was when I decided to move on January.

What attracted you to the project in Celta and were you more confident of breaking through into the first team when you joined?

Celta made me an offer and I think it was the right time to join the club. The club is progressing a lot and they are getting better and better every season. I'm playing with Celta B and we are now in the playoff positions to get promoted to the Second division of Spain. It'd be a great achievement for the club.

What are your plans for the future?

I finish my contract at Celta at the end of this season and I haven't decided what will I do next season. In football it's difficult to make plans for the future.

What do you do in your free time?

I'm studying a Business degree at the Spanish University and when I don't have to study I like to spend time with my friends and teammates.



Edit: (22nd May, 2017) 
This interview was also published on BarcaBlaugranes.com. You can read it here.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

When three teams offered a 19-year-old an eight year contract (11th October, 2017)

Just how many players can you name who have the following descrption: He is a striker of great quality, and was a great promise of Spanish football, but his bad luck and some injuries denied him the opportunity to recover - he has never played more than one season in the same team. This is the story of a player - a technically and physically excellent striker - who made mistakes and suffered injuries very young and never really recovered. Born in Santa Eulàlia de Ronçana, Barcelona, Iván Peñaranda started his youth career at Granollers. His real formation, however, was in the lower categories of Barcelona, ​​in which he stayed for seven years (1991-98). Playing alongside Xavi Hernández, Gabri and Carles Puyol. He was considered as one of the young players with a huge future within the club. In the summer of 1998, he angered Barcelona by using "change of residence" as an excuse to sign for Mallorca B (he would move there along with his family), where he would play alongs

Non-league Incider: St Helens Town 3-0 Atherton Laburnum Rovers

Last game: 8th August: Dulwich Hamlet 2-1 East Thurrock United The previous day, I was blown away by my first ever football match experience. Dulwich Hamlet impressed me, but what impressed me more was the journey. The travel to the stadium was just as enjoyable as the football itself. I had caught the groundhopping bug. There were no games scheduled for the 9th of August. There was one, near Wigan, and all I had booked earlier was a refundable bus ticket from Manchester Airport leaving at quarter past midnight. I should have refunded it. This was a mistake. This whole day was a mistake. I was only slightly hungover from the previous night, but that was nothing compared to this feeling of loss - I couldn't handle the fact that there was a game happening. And I wasn't too far away. Just three hours and a bit. They'll fly by , I thought. I was in autopilot. Something within me made me get up, grab a bag, and get out the door. This wasn't me. I wasn't trave

Francisco Pérez Pérez - the actual oldest player to have played in Spain (1st November, 2017)

I've always wanted to ask a football player: how much do you love your club? If you see your club go down, what are you willing to put on the line to see them go back up? The notion that "players will come and players will go, but the fans are the club" is one that is sadly true in what has become a money-filled sport. The story of a player sacrificing money and success for his club? That story is rare. That story is beautiful. This is that story. This is the story of a player who loved his club. His local club. It'll be a long time if and when someone beats his record. Francisco Pérez Pérez, also known as Chico, currently holds the record for being the oldest player to play in the Segunda B - 43 years and 93 days is the figure. That's a figure that second place Diego Rodríguez Fernández (41 years and 324 days) falls short of by a year and 134 days. I should also point out that the top 3 list for oldest players to play in any of the top three tier