Alvaro Morata: “I want to do something different from what we have in football today” | German Eurocup 2024

When Alvaro Morata (Madrid, 31) speaks at a Spanish rally, no one listens to him. He seems absent, even distracted, but he is aware of everything. His head doesn’t bother him, he sleeps little and thinks a lot. Of course, there is a moment of catharsis: golf. “I’m a bit obsessed, I have a handicap of eight but sometimes I can be close to two or three. “It’s a very beautiful sport,” he says. Devoid of the ghosts of his past, the Spain captain enjoys…

When Alvaro Morata (Madrid, 31) speaks at a Spanish rally, no one listens to him. He seems absent, even distracted, but he is aware of everything. His head doesn’t bother him, he sleeps little and thinks a lot. Of course, there is a moment of catharsis: golf. “I’m a bit obsessed, I have a handicap of eight but sometimes I can be close to two or three. “It’s a very beautiful sport,” he says. Devoid of the ghosts of his past, the Spanish captain is enjoying Germany.

Ask. What does golf give you?

Reply. This is one of the things that psychiatrists recommend. You don’t have to think about anything, you can organize your head and, most importantly, manage your emotions yourself. It’s you against the mirror. This is the most important thing. You can’t make excuses like you didn’t hit the ball right, or the grass was dry… Nothing. It’s you with your stick. If you screwed it up, you screwed it up. And if you do it well, you did it.

TO. Could this be torture?

R. This really helps me control my impulses.

TO. For example.

R. When you are under pressure, half a meter away from the hole where nine times out of 10 you would have put the ball, the hole seems smaller. This happened to Rory McIlroy at the US Open and he is one of the best golfers in history.

TO. Can this be compared to heads-up?

R. No, it’s much slower. But it may feel like a fine. It’s not that similar though because the hole doesn’t move both ways before you hit the shot like a goalie does. Golf helps you concentrate. You hear the silence, hear your breathing… I recommend it to anyone who suffers from anxiety or experiences bouts of depression. At first you have to be patient, but then it’s incredible.

TO. Does it help you cope with disappointments and mistakes in football?

R. Very. At first I went home very upset, but now I don’t care, I’m going to have fun. And every time there is an opportunity, I go to the tournament. Last year I played with Sergio Garcia before the tournament (LIV Golf Andalucía). When I retire, one of the first things I will do is attend the Augusta Masters. And if they let me play, I think I’ll pass out there.

TO. Are you thinking about retirement?

R. Yes, of course. Since I was 20, I have organized my life at the business level, at the educational level. I am curious, I have a lot of concerns. I like to help in the companies that I have, I also cooperate with my wife, we analyze the market together, see the products. I will not be bored.

TO. Did you quickly realize that football is not forever?

R. I can’t be proud of just playing football, there are many interesting things you can do in life. In this sense, my parents helped me a lot. And also in the work mentality: creating something from scratch, putting in a lot of effort, and helping people who need it. I’ve been very lucky in life with everything, and I have to give it back to those who didn’t have it.

TO. Do you believe in luck?

R. I’m not just talking about football or my work. I grew up in difficult times, just like anyone with a divided family. I had to take on certain responsibilities. The most important thing for me is that my family is healthy. You don’t know when disaster might strike. That’s why I like to help people who have problems, especially children, so that they can better cope with illness or family misfortune. Also, when I retire from football, I would really like to be able to help the players. I don’t know if I should call it representative, but I want to do something different from what exists in the world of football today.

TO. For example.

R. For example, instead of charging the 10% that reps typically charge, I would take less money and put that difference into a fund that they won’t be able to touch for the rest of their career. You might save someone’s career or life. You will have money to buy a house and live better.

TO. Does a football player need additional financial education?

R. Fewer and fewer, but still many people who… It can happen to anyone. When you’re 20, you think you’re going to a restaurant, they come with a machine gun and the bullets bounce off you. You think you’re in another dimension. So it’s difficult… And few people will refuse you. On the contrary, they tell you that next year you’ll have a clean contract for six million euros, that Manchester City will sign you. Another example: I don’t understand how many of my colleagues don’t have disability insurance. Yes, it’s pasta a year. It’s also difficult to pay for that. But what if you get injured? You might not be able to get your contract in full.

TO. Is your environment not helping?

R. I’m very lucky with my agent and family. My father made me take out insurance. If you have a good car, you insure it, right? And why are you doing this? Because you know that something can happen to you. There are players who have been to the elite, to very top teams, and have not had health insurance or good advice. There are many countries that, when signing you as a star, do not explain or do not pay attention to the fact that if you are injured for more than six months, the club has the opportunity to terminate your contract. Zero euro. It may be better to have insurance. That’s why I would really like to help young people see the reality of football. Many times you see that everything is so beautiful and wonderful that it seems that nothing can happen to you.

TO. Are you breaking the stereotype of the footballer living in a bubble?

R. I am a very restless person. I really like to know, for example, about the contracts we sign or what all our actions entail. Also, I have a lot of time because I don’t sleep much. Since I get up early, sometimes I go to the gym early and meet people from the gym. staff. They run away because they can’t get together with the players much. But I tell him: “Stay, I want to talk a little.”

TO. For a long time you were bothered by what was said about you. Have you suffered because of this in your career?

R. Very much. But I found people who helped me in recent years. If they had been there earlier, I can’t say my career would have been better or worse, I don’t know, I would have still been injured. But when someone makes you look at yourself from a different perspective, and when you also analyze the perspective of the person who tells you I hope you die on the street, that’s different.

TO. And what do you see from this other point of view?

R. You see that he is a man who still expresses all his disappointments in life to you. And you no longer appreciate it as much as before. This person doesn’t think they can ruin your life by telling you this.

TO. Don’t they explain this to kids who dream of becoming football players?

R. That’s why I think there are many things that can help. For example, for young people from the quarry, it’s imperative to start seeing psychologists. We go to the gym to build muscle, right? And in the head, how do we help it grow? Your friend can’t clear your head. If it’s objective, maybe it’s telling you the truth, but if it’s not, then it’s telling you that you’re a machine and your coach is unfair and that everything is crap.

TO. This Spain never stops growing. Is Georgia the best opponent it can have after scoring 10 goals in its last two games?

R. It has nothing to do with it. It’s a different situation, they’re in a different physical condition. In the European Cup, any team that comes close to you can be tougher than one that’s full of stars and plays attacking. You have to be alert and ready. It’s going to be very tough.

TO. Don’t you think that teams like England and France haven’t yet shown the version that was expected of them?

R. When you get to the second round, it doesn’t matter. The last European Cup was won by Italy. Did anyone like that? They said their defence was over, that they were old men… And they won the European Championship. In England, everyone was singing “It’s Come Home” and then they lost the final. Football is unpredictable.

TO. Does the best always win?

R. Not many times. I don’t think so, there are many factors. At some point you need a certain luck factor. Name me a tournament that was won without that particular moment. The draw stopper (Martinez in Argentina-France in Qatar) or Iker Casillas in South Africa… You have to have that moment.

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