Alex Remiro is a Spanish goalkeeper who has helped Real Sociedad qualify for the Champions League next season.
He was particularly impressive after his La Liga rivals in last week’s 0-0 draw with Real Madrid, thwarting a series of attempts to keep La Real in third place.
Last season, he kept the third-most clean sheets (22) in all five European major league competitions behind Liverpool’s Alisson and Manchester City’s Ederson.
In this interview athleticAfter studying English for six years, he explains, in his first English, why the excitement around the surprise package in Spain is justified.
But first, the 27-year-old has a different story.
Remiro is no ordinary soccer player.
He has a piano in his room and prefers to play the drums instead of the PlayStation. On holidays, he returns to his hometown of Cascante in northern Spain to pick up trash.
“It makes me so angry when I see trash on the floor. I was asked why I wanted to participate in
When the club isn’t willing to help maintain its impressive start to the season, Remiro is dedicated to helping others. I’m here.
“We need to give young people in football more guidance on mental health,” he says.
“If parents are too pushy with their kids in the academy, they start to lose interest. Often times it’s fanatical fathers yelling orders to their sons and daughters on the sidelines. I don’t like that.” .
“Recently I spoke with a 12 year old girl who cries every time she concedes a goal. is required.”
Remiro is funding the scheme together with the non-governmental organization Futbol Mass, which will be introduced to 50 clubs in Guipuzcoa, Basque Country, near where Real Sociedad plays.
He hired two sports psychologists to work with the children, provided families with positive parenting guides, and conducted hands-on workshops within each club. Users connected to each club have access to online courses and open phone lines. Remiro will also visit the club.
“Helping children is my passion,” he says. “I am in a position to help. As a professional footballer, I have a chance to give something back.”
Remiro pays tribute to former Spain Under-19 team-mate Héctor Bellerin for his philanthropy, and the Sporting Lisbon full-back, who has worked with Futbol Mass, has given him a successful project. I was touched by the contact that I prayed for.
He said he “believes” that former Manchester United and Chelsea midfielder Juan Mata set up Common Goal, an initiative to encourage footballers to donate a portion of their earnings to good causes around the world. I can’t.”
Former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Rafinha also made a lasting impression when he spent the second half of last season on loan at Real Sociedad.
The 29-year-old, who now plays for the Qatari club Al Arabi, started a project to deliver toys to the needy and the sick on Children’s Day in Spain.
As a young man, Remiro had parents who gave him the freedom to enjoy the sport without the pressure of having to do it at a professional level. But not all children are lucky.
Until the age of 11, Remiro focused on learning judo with his sister, but then took a keen interest in soccer.
It is widely accepted that goalkeepers must develop a strong mindset in order to be successful, as their professional role is isolating. At Remiro’s first club, Athletic his Bilbao, there was a time when it seemed unlikely that he would progress to his current stage.
“I had a bad experience on loan at Levante[2016-17],” he said. “I felt ready, but my heart was wrong. I wasn’t mentally prepared for it.
Perhaps the most defining period of his career was the same season when he began working with Mar Rovira, a former Spanish national basketball player and his own sports psychologist.
“I worked on getting the distractions out of my head and building my confidence. So I had to find another loan club.
“From there on, I focused on the mental side of the game as much as the rest. In Spain, not many people work with psychologists, but for me it turned out to be very important. .”
After a loan move to Huesca in 2017-18, Remiro helped the club win promotion to the top flight for the first time in its history.He decided to move to La Real.
He hasn’t looked back since. He is a Copa del Rey winner and has played in the Europa League, and in his recent game against Manchester United he faced his idol David De Gea.
Off the pitch, Remiro said several of his Real Sociedad teammates had asked if they could help with the project, even Immanor Alguacil, the club’s longtime and highly regarded coach. , and would like to contribute if his schedule permits.
“Our manager is great,” says Remiro. “He asked me what I was doing and if I could help with his friends.”
And what about La Real? Will they be able to maintain the form they need to hold on to third place?
“We know that we are playing against a team like Atlético with an incredible squad, then Villarreal and Real Betis … we have a long way to go,” he said.
“Managers demand a lot from us and ask us to be our best selves in the gym, in the locker room and on the pitch.
“He’s strong and extravagant, but he’s known about 80% of the team since he was a very young player, so he knows how to manage them. He’s been like a big father to us.” .”
La Real has created a team that seems to punch beyond their weight, but Remiro says the talent shouldn’t be ignored.
“We have a very good player. Martin Zbimendi is hot right now…he’s on the mood. He’s young so everyone’s talking about him. He handles the ball. is very good and can play box-to-box.
“We also have[former Newcastle United midfielder Mikel]Merino. He is our captain and we miss him when he is not playing because he is our coach.
“And David[Silva]. He’s a monster. His mentality is incredible. He doesn’t want to lose in training. He’s great.”
Remiro’s heroic goal also helped. He has kept 15 clean sheets in his 30 appearances in all competitions and is pleased with his performance.
“If you’re going to do something in life, you have to do it well,” he says. “That’s why this new project is so important.”
(Photo above: THOMAS COEX/AFP via Getty Images)
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