Liverpool FC Forum

by **columbia** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 1:21 am

I just read this on kop talk and found it particularly interesting.

They basically talk about the differences of spain and england.

Often i find rafa doesnt give much away about himself due to not being able to express himself that well. Because this is a transcript of them talking in spanish it lets you no a bit more about them.

------------------------------------------------------------

Journalist: How are you Rafa?

Rafa Benitez: "I'm a bit tired, because there is no siesta here, the day is long, and I'm tired at the end of the day.

Journalist: I see you more fat

Rafa Benitez: I AM more fat

Journalist: Do titles make you more fat?

Rafa Benitez: Titles do, but especially to eat candy in the office

Journalist: Fernando Morientes, good night, you look younger

Morientes: But I'm 30, so... well, I tried to take care of me, but the years fall and I notice them

Journalist: Xabi Alonso, hi, you look good...

Xabi Alonso: Thanks

Journalist: Pepe Reina, how are you?

Reina: With less hair...

Journalist: I see you well and that Amrican-actor beard looks great in you

Reina: 3 days beard

Journalist: Luis Garcia, who did you fight with? What the hell is this hair?

Luis Garcia: it's the fashion, man...hehe

Journalist: How is Liverpool, because it looks very ugly to me...

Benitez: I can't tell you much, because I go from the gym to house, from house to the gym, from house to Melboune (?). Maybe Ochotorena and Victor can tell you more...

Journalist: So you work and they do tourism... hehe

Benitez: Nooo... it's just that they like to do tourism much more

Journalist: Maybe Morientes can tell me. Is that ugly as I think?

Morientes: Yes, at the begining. Then you get used to it. The worst is the weather. This thin rain... it makes it sad, but you get used to it

Journalist: Where do you live?

Moro: Near the airport... in an bungalow

Journalist: And you Xabi?

Xabi: Downtown, near the river... I don't care about the rain, because I'm from the North (of Spain), you know... I'm always fighting with the rest (of Spanish), because they miss the sun... and I love the rain

Journalist: And you Rafa?

Rafa: In the other side of the river, like 30-45 min from here

Journalist: And you Luis?

LG: In the same mythic bungalows where we all live... hehehe

Journalists: With Spanish people? Talking in Spanish

Moro: Noooo... just in English...hehehe

LG: Yes, hahaha

Rafa: It's a fight man, because I turn my back and they talk in spanish

Journalist: Do you force to talk with them in English?

Rafa: We TRY to make them talk in English... but except for Xabi, who learned in school, we are all fúcked up, so when you get distracted, we go back to Spanish...

Journalist: and Pepe?

Reina: In a bungalow....

Journalist: Casually the same?

Reina: haha... casually Door by door with the other 2

Journalist: How do you live here?

Reina: More calm, because at 8, everything is closed and it's difficult to have a beer or a coke, so I stay at home, calm with family and friends...

Journalist: Rafa, is it easy to train this team?

Rafa: All the teams where I've been, I had good professionals... one of the keys of Liverpool is that we have good people aside good players, so it's easier to demand much more from them during several months

Journalist: What's the change after the CL? are you a different man?

Rafa: No, I'm the same. Maybe just the exigences are higher.

Journalist: Yeah, but you look yourself at the mirror and, man, "I'm not the coach of Tenerife, Osasuna, Extremadura, not even Valencia, I'm the European champion"

Rafa: No, because the day after we were thinking in what we could do in the future, not in what we had achieved.. that's why we brought Pepe and others

Journalist: How was the idea of Pepe?

Rafa: I saw him a couple of days doing a couple of saves... haha, no we were following him since long ago. I recall Luis from the youth days, playing that 3-4-3 that Barça likes, as 9. And Pepe, the first time in Lanzarote, also in the youth days... I saw him training, but he was reserve, he didn't know I was there

Pepe: No way... I knew he was there. I made the double of effort

Rafa: What the hell I assure you were reserve man!

Pepe: eeerr... ok, anyone has a bad day

Rafa: We knew him since long ago. I have good friends in Barcelona and I had really good reports about Victor Valdes and Pepe already back then. It was easy to bring him, since our agent is the same and Villarreal is a very professional team

Journalist: Which is the difference with Spain?

Pepe: The refs allow much more in the small box in the corner kicks, this people is crazy... they can kill you, man

Journalist: Really?

Pepe: Oh, yah... crazy

Journalists: How do you live here Luis? You were better in Madrid (the journalist is Atletico), with your dog... did you bring the dog?

LG: Yes

Journalist: He must talk in English, right?

LG: Since the 2nd day

Journalist: English?

LG: Scouse!!

haha

LG: The times are different, they eat earlier... we have lunch at 12:30 and dinner at 8:30 and not at 2 PM and 10 PM like in Spain... so I live more calm, because there's nothing to do in the city... so I stay at home

Journalist: And you Xabi?

Xabi: The same of everyone. At the begining, I missed Donosti, but after a year and a half, I got used to it and I like some places

Journalists: And Moro?

Moro: The same too... the worst of all is the family. I have 2 daughters, who are 4 and 6 years and the first day of school they cried, and the sky felt on me, man... but in few weeks, they talk perfect English, I know it's great for them for the future

Journalist: And you Rafa?

Rafa: I was talking with Moro about that. Because we had someone in the school that said "the kids of the foreign players talk English in 2 weeks". But the 2 weeks passed, 4, 6, 2 months and my daughters didn't talk anything... and I thought that my girls had something wrong... are they dumber? They had fear, but one day, 6 months the teacher called... "man, they started to talk"... man, PERFECT English. They talk perfectly! Better than I for sure

Journalist: How did you get used to the times, the new culture...

Rafa: For me the worst is the idiom. Because it's not English, it's scouse, like LG's dog... it's not the BBC English, which is understandable, this people talk strange.... sometimes I go to the door and these kids talk to me in Scous... blah blah blah... I understand ********... I sign autographs and I say "yes yes" to everything and leave.... it's horrible

Journalist: Is it a different dialect?

Rafa: It's like the andaluz in Spain... there is a person in the club that knows Spanish... I recall that he didn't understand Josemi at all, he was so frustrated

Journalist: And how is the fame here?

Moro: It's very different. I couldn't walk in Madrid, I had to choose the place to go. Yes, people are passionate, but they respect the player much more, maybe a couple of people stop you, but no problem... I even went to Manchester and it was perfect

Journalist: And Xabi, who is a kind of Beckham in Liverpool? hehe

Xabi: What? haha

Rafa: We didn't talk about his salary to compare him with Beckham

Journalist: You go to a mall and you see people talking, right?

Xabi: Well... but people are positive, much more than in Spain, very respectful, they cheer you, they congratulate you for your last game... you're a Liverpool player and they support you...

Journalist: And you Pepe?

Reina: They don't know me yet... haha

Journalist: No?

Reina: It's what Xabi say... they help you a lot, they support you much more than in Spain

Journalist: How about driving in the left, LG?

LG: Now... ok

Journalist: Did you ever crash it?

LG: The 1st day... 300 mt... I broke the rearviewmirror... there were a building work... I went out of the training camps and I hit a man with a motorbike... ********... it was horrible, now much better

Journalist: And you Rafa?

Rafa: Me? wow... I recall one day... I was in a street... the worst of all is the left wheel and rearviewmirror... I was driving I was hearing "pam pam pam pam"... what the hell is this? Man... I was hitting all the rearviewmirrors of the cars with my left one...

Journalist: haha

[...]

Journalist 2: And Anfield, it looks like an old factory from outside. Inside it's extraordinary, like Mecca of football

Journalist: Man, that's the Calderon... don't fool people

Journalist 2: What the ****? It's great... Anfield is a temple... the red color dominates everywhere... the best of all is 5 or 6 minutes before the game, with all the people singing "You'll never walk alone"

Sounds the music...

Moro: *sings* Waaaaaaaaaaalk alooooooooooooone!!!

Journalist: My feet go behind the music, man

Moro: haha No, the truth is that my father had chills for the first time in a stadium in Liverpool. "I had to come to a foreign club for this". I've been in Albacete, Zaragoza, even the Bernabeu, Monaco... but it's impressive, the song, how people live the games, for 90 minutes... and me, on the pitch, you notice too...

Rafa: I think it's everywhere in England, but especially in Liverpool, the old football is everywhere, the "boot room", where you invite the rival's coach and have something with their tecnical staff...

Journalist: And even Mourinho?

Rafa: Well... not him, because he doesn't like to go. I shake his hand before and after the game, I want to be respectful. People are very respectful here normally

Journalist: And the locker room?

Reina: Very humble... it was impressive. It's nothing special. Barça's was different, with even a swimming pool, Villarreal's was humble too, but they change it for the CL... it's like the club, very humble. It's the myth, the visitors have a bigger locker room, "because we're more humble"

Journalist: And you Xabi?

Xabi: It's great. Humble, but you smell football everywhere. The old players, the old games, the special European nights, the titles... it's special

Journalist: And you Luis? Where do you change?

LG: In the middle, between Xabi and Fernando

Rafa: Talking in English..hehe... talking the tactics and all that, right? They do in Spanish to see if they understood

LG: Man, the closet is very small, the suit doesn't fit there

Rafa: That's true. The rival's closet are way bigger too, so the rivals think: "wow, these people of Liverpool are huge"

Journalist: And Moro? You come from the galactico locker room, that all of you have a kind of window shop... and the perfumes of Beckham...hehe...

Morientes: haha.. yes, this is very different. But I like it better... I go down the stairs and I touch the badge on the wall... and even the rivals

Xabi: yeah, the ex-Liverpool players do too

Journalist: Maybe we should put the mummy of Vicente Calderon in Madrid to see if our luck changes then... man

haha

Journalist: And how is the club? Because you told me, "I get home at 10 PM" and I thought "he's cheeting his wife"

Rafa: No...haha... the job is different, I'm a manager here, not like the Spanish coach. I have a lot of work in the office, signings, and other papers, scouts, trainings... I finish very late

Journalist: Moro, told me... leave Rafa go soon, because tomorrow we have double training and he has to be in good mood

Rafa: He's gonna sleep in the training facilities

Journalist: Moro...

Moro: Yeah... in that rooms, man

Journalist: Yeah, you told me they're little

Moro: Little? Beyond little

Reina: And at the begining we were alone... now have to share them!!!

Rafa: It's just to sleep the siesta. When we have double trainings, to avoid to take the car... it's not a punishment, it's just to rest better...

(For those who understand Spanish)

http://www.cadenaser.com/player.htm...csrcsrdep_1....
http://www.cadenaser.com/player.htm...csrcsrdep_2....

Journalist: And when you see the games of La Liga, which is the difference?

Reina: It's different. People don't boo you. It's more pure, people don't cheat that much... the other day, I went to the Villarreal-RM and I saw fouls that... well, here it's more pure, the refs allow to play more football. In Spain, we should wonder about it, here it's more pure and in Spain, we would enjoy much more...

Journalist: How are the refs here? Do you like them better?

Reina: I don't want to talk much... well, the Spanish refs are good, but the methods here are better.

Xabi: They allow much more the physical contact. When they show a yellow card, there is no doubt that the card is clear and the whole stadium see it. In Spain, you sometimes wonder why.

Journalist: And other differences, the provocations, the cheating, the insults...

Morientes: Well, a bit less. I suffered less insults.

Journalist: Really?

Moro: Maybe it's because I don't understand it. Sometimes someone tells me something and I think "what the hell is he saying?". In Spain, I understood the insults. The insults, in corners and fouls were more usual. I don't recall fights, except for very hard tackles...

Journalist: And the press? Ivan Campo told me that noone goes to see Bolton

(Ivan Campo was invited too)

Ivan Campo: We just have press on Friday, it's different for Liverpool, Arsenal or Man U... the fans don't even come. It's more a weekend thing. They come on Friday and Saturday, they make the interview and they leave you calm

Journalist: And in Liverpool?

Xabi: It's different. The trainings are closed here, not like in Spain. There is less press, we don't do daily press conferences. In England, they don't have lots of sport newspapers that have to fill pages and pages about football. There is not the daily information of Spain.

Journalist: Here, you have Victoria, Beckham, the gossips

Xabi: Yeah, the tabloids... the gossips, the fights, the one that gets drunk... here, they don't talk about the 4-2-3-1, the trainings, the ones who are doubtful for the game... people are not that interested in that sense, compared with Spain

Journalist: And the Board? The bosses of the club

Reina: I just know two people... the main difference is that they come to the locker room, it was surprising, because in Spain, they don't come, I don't live this.

Journalist: And do they give the opinion?

Reina: No, they don't talk, but they're there listening. That's surprising. But it's just 2 people, I don't see the rest, except in the European games

Journalist: You said that the Liverpool fans are more respectful, but I saw one before taking you by the neck and kissing you face...

Moro: Yeah, that's true... hehe

Journalist: Ivan Campo, your life changed in England, right?

Campo: Yes, because my last year in Madrid was awful and the teammates here were great instead. I enjoyed to play football again and that was great.

Journalist: Maybe because you didn't have a test every weekend, like in Spain...

Campo: It was more because all the fans were against me, the teammates were okay

Journalist: And how do you see Barcelona's military walk in Spain? Do you envy not to play there now?

Reina: No, I think it was a good decision, one of the best. It was the time to leave. I am very thankful to them, I am very proud of where i am now. About the "military walk", man, they're the best, the reference of all Europe, they play the best football. The most reliable and competitive

Journalist: Which is the secret?

Reina: I think it's the group to work, the coach. I don't know him, but some friends talk great about him...

Journalist: But is there any part of luck?

Reina: No, there are not coincidences in football. They work together. Eto'o scores everything, and they have Ronaldinho, Deco, Puyol, Xavi... they play by memory, that's the secret!

Journalist: And you? How would you be in Barça?

LG: Who knows? That's a mistery. I thought that I needed to leave and I've been European champion and I think I took the right decision

Journalist: And Moro, Real Madrid? How do you see it?

Morientes: Well... hehee

Journalist: hehe... well, thanks

Morientes: I see it on TV, hehe... and once that I went to Madrid. it's different, I have a lot of information about the team. I am more calm now. Madrid is another world. A season in Madrid is like 3 in another club. Everything is huge there, the good and the bad things. You realize about it about the size of the club where you're out. You realize how big is Real Madrid and how calm you live out of it. My health is better now. There it was a fright everyday. You have to be very strong mentally to be in Madrid for several years

Journalist: Did you call Florentino?

Moro: No, just to my friends...

Journalist: And Raul? Did you call him?

Moro: Yes, yesterday. He's ok. He wants to play soon, we know how brave he is, but let's hope that his decision of not having surgery was good... one month and a half yet

Journalist: Did you like the signing of Floro?

Moro: Yes, I am very thankful to him. He's my dad in football. He gave the chance to play in Primera. I'm happy for him

Journalist: And Real Sociedad, Xabi?

Xabi: What do you want me to tell you? We're in a bad time, ups and downs, now we play against Athletic, who are ever worse... let's hope to win and go up again.

... The cellebrations of the CL

Journalist: I don't know... there was a lot of people...

Journalist 2: yeah, all the people of Liverpool, Leeds, even Manchester...hehe

Xabi: I don't know from where did they come from...

Journalist 2: I especially recall LG, who was the happies, the craziest...

LG: Yeah

Xabi: It was everything, the fans, the people, the 3-0... it was special

Journalist: And what about winning with Real Sociedad?

Xabi: errr...

Journalist: I mean, it can't be the same than winning with the home team

Xabi: I think it's special for people here. Liverpool was the one with more CL, but they didn't win it in a long time. It's the 5th, so we earned the trophy in property... it was special for the people and they tell me everyday

Journalist: We were near in Atleti, you know? right Luis? We wanted to win again with Atletico... but you prefered to go to Liverpool to win it, right?

LG: Atletico will win it one day

Journalist: Do you think so?

LG: Of course, one day.

Journalist: Hey, I'm gonna believe you

LG: I love Atleti. It's a big club of Spain, it's all about cycles, now it's a low moment. Barça was years and years without a title and look at them...

Journalist: Thanks... and Dudek, who was the hero of Anfield, how is to live with him?

Reina: He's a wonderful person. I know that sounds like something usual, to talk well about the teammates. But it's the truth.

Journalist: But he must think, "why didnt you go anywhere else?"

Reina: I understand that his position is not comfortable, difficult... but it's his job and these things happen, as it happened to me too.

by **columbia** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 1:23 am

sorry! Ive just seen it has been posted, but this version is a bit bigger. Could they be possibly be merged?

by **zarababe** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 1:37 am

Fantastic read.. listening to the uploads at the same time.. Mmorientes singing YNWA.. grt.

.. and crashing in to all those side view mirrors

lol a lot of angry motorists will have there answers today :laugh:

They use 'man' a lot ay

Thanks..

by **Espionage** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 1:54 am

Delete the other thread..........

Great read, Spanish humor is so helerious.

by **zarababe** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 2:01 am

definately it's been so funny listening to the chat, laughter and reading the transcript..

by **azriahmad** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 5:13 am

Thansk a lot for the translated transcript. Very good. :;):

by **Raoul** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 6:44 am

Thanks Columbia, great read - you are right it is like seeing a different side to these guys

by **el_stinger** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 7:04 am

Wow, thanks for this. The other thread wasn't detailed. How funny are they, lol.

Especially the part about Mourihno not coming into the boot room after matches, what a chump. !

by **oakton** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 7:12 am

can't get those files to work, are the links address correct?

by **laza** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 7:24 am

Excellent stuff, i love that part where journo gives Rafa a chance to bask himself in glory of being European Champion and his reply is

"No, because the day after we were thinking in what we could do in the future, not in what we had achieved "

class pure class

by **anfieldadorer** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 4:22 pm

thanks for the translation :;):

by **Sabre** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 5:17 pm

First of all, great translation. Translation is not an easy task.

Second, great read.

Third,

Xabi: It was everything, the fans, the people, the 3-0... it was special

Journalist: And what about winning with Real Sociedad?

Xabi: errr...

Journalist: I mean, it can't be the same than winning with the home team

Xabi: I think it's special for people here. Liverpool was the one with more CL, but they didn't win it in a long time. It's the 5th, so we earned the trophy in property... it was special for the people and they tell me everyday

Journalist: We were near in Atleti, you know? right Luis? We wanted to win again with Atletico... but you prefered to go to Liverpool to win it, right?

bástards .What kind of question is that? we are a humble team we are not going to win the CL (although we reached semifinals once in the former champions cup). The Background of this is that we are a proud team based on youth system. They don't like humble teams disputing their football from time to time. They wanted Alonso in Madrid. Some of them are moaning publicly now because he's at Liverpool. He didn't mean what he later says, and that's why he gets an Errr from Xabi (he should have called him twát) He was trying to mock at us. They're a bit like the London press. Everything turns around the Madrid teams. And they do not hide so, as they use WE when they talk about Madrid and Atl. Madrid.

Sorry lads, but I can't stand those journos

, I'm just happy that Liverpool has Real Sociedad players. I cannot think of a better place to go. I'm grateful you picked Alonso from Madrid's or Atlético's Grasps

by **Ciggy** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 5:38 pm

That translator 2 is a right t.it and you where right about them sabre, as for the others in this topic saying delete the other one.
The one I posted was translated at the same time the interview was given and that person was spanish typing in english but since you seem to be genius's Id like to see you do the same.
Koptalk had a day to translate it.

by **columbia** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 5:42 pm

cisses_gona_get_ya wrote:That translator 2 is a right t.it and you where right about them sabre, as for the others in this topic saying delete the other one.
The one I posted was translated at the same time the interview was given and that person was spanish typing in english but since you seem to be genius's Id like to see you do the same.
Koptalk had a day to translate it.

pretty sure that doesnt refer to me, but just making sure?...

by **Ciggy** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 5:46 pm

columbia wrote:pretty sure that doesnt refer to me, but just making sure?...

No mate not you. Others sayin delete the other one bla bla, Im not bothered if it is deleted the one I posted was from a spanish person who kindly translated it at the time of the interview. I thought he done a good job.

Liverpool FC Forum

Interview transcript - From, rafa, luis, nando, xabi and reina

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