If you lose a Clasico you can't get out of home for days: Fernando Morientes

NEW DELHI: He signs off with a '9' next to the scrawl that is his name, yet Fernando Morientes insists with a wistful laugh that the old-fashioned No. 9 is good as dead in today's football. "No, no, there is no False Nine in the game today," he interrupts before the question is completed. "Not like our time, when we played just behind the No.10 setting up the ball with a cross, or waiting in the box for a rebound.There is a lot more movement in the game now and today's No. 9 has to run a lot more and operate from a lot more wide space. It is more demanding today."
Morientes, the other half in the famous Raul Morientes striking combine for Spain and Real Madrid at the turn of the century, visited the Times of India as the Guest Sports Editor. He was accompanied by Javier Tebas, president of La Liga, the Spanish premier league.
We had so much to ask, on Spain, Real Madrid, the Galacticos, La Liga, the English Premiership, Monaco, El Clasico. Clearly, he was enjoying the joust, because Morientes answered and answered. Vocal and expressive, the hand gestures and the Iberian shrug all employed to good effect, he may have articulated his replies in Spanish, but then football speaks in a common tongue. Very little was lost in translation. Excerpts:
Do you think the early Liga kick-offs which you announced today will dilute the atmosphere? They're used to playing in the late evenings...
TEBAS: Generally, there's no fall in attendances. Three years ago, we changed the timings to 4 in the evening and there was an increase by 2 million in terms of number of people who came to the stadiums.
But would you like to play in the afternoon?
MORIENTES: I have played in the afternoons at 1 or 2 pm, but of course, mostly the games in my time would be played in the evening. Football is constantly evolving, so I have played in the afternoon as well.
Tell us about your partnership with Raul.
MORIENTES: I live in Madrid and he is in New York. Yet, we share the same friendship as we did when we were playing together. Whenever we can meet, we do.
Was there a special understanding between the two of you?
Of course, there was a special chemistry on ground and off it as well. We are very good friends, our families get along as well, so that bond is bound to show on the field.
There are two parts to this story. You had a great partnership with Raul, yet the Spanish team underachieved. When you played in Valencia, you and David Villa combined really well, and Spain were beginning to get very strong. Personally, which period was more satisfying?
I have had the good fortune of playing for really good clubs and with big players. Both were very important periods of my career. I have won titles with Raul and also enjoyed wins with Valencia. They were both important periods for me, so I will not compare.
Outside of Spain, has Monaco been your greatest season ­ you reached the Champions League final under Didier Deschamps?
That was probably the best year at a personal level. When I was at Real Madrid, there were other players too who had equal responsibility, but at Monaco, there was a lot of responsibility and that period was special to me. special to me.
And your Liverpool days?
It's important for a player to find certain characteristics in those he plays with. At Real, I found that, but at Liverpool, it wasn't a great time. I couldn't make myself the star I wanted to be as I wasn't able to stand out. In football, you need a band of players especially in the centre and the rear. At Liverpool, I didn't find that.
How was your relationship with Rafa Benitez, who brought you to Liverpool?
Excellent. He was the one who called me there. On a professional and personal level, it was great in terms of training, but I just couldn't stand out at Liverpool. It has nothing to do with the coach. On the contrary, we still maintain a great relationship.
Now that you're coaching, how much change do you see football has undergone in terms of preparation, training and strategy compared to when you were playing?
Football has evolved a lot in the last decade, and for the better. These days, a lot of emphasis is put on the physical aspect and the strategies. Earlier, it was a bit different.
You were a brilliant No 9. Has that role changed today? How would you describe the 'false 9'?
I don't believe in the 'false 9'. No.9 is a specialist of a particular area. These days, the description of a No.9 has changed a lot because they are needed to move a lot. Fernando Llorente, Alvaro Negredo both fantastic and proven No 9s have had to move because of that change. In my time, there was a more defined No. 9.
Has that come from the Barcelona idea? Rijkaard and Guardiola made changes in their tactics. They did away with the traditional No 9 and it led to success. The national team started following that too...
That happened largely because of the changing characteristics of the players. The generation of players are much shorter and if you are marked tightly by defenders, it makes it that much more difficult to be a conventional No. 9. That's how the game has evolved, you were forced to play wider and it ended up as three goal-scoring midfielders in the front rather than the regular No 9 and 10.
Do you think the Spain team of 2002 underachieved? You were a terrific combination of players. In comparison, the next generation did much better...
Yes, we probably didn't achieve as much as we could. At the same time, you need to take into account how good the other teams were at the time. Germany, for example, Italy and Brazil were playing some outstanding football back then. But, yes that was the most talented generation.
Do you remember the goal of yours that was disallowed...
Every day (laughs)!...
In the quarterfinal match of the 2002 World Cup?
Yes, every day. But, this is football. (In) this moment, now, it's okay. Back then, it was a big deal.
At Real, you came up the ranks with guys like Raul and Fernando Hierro. How did you feel during the Galacticos period? How did it make you feel when a band of superstars suddenly came in and the club was identified by it?
I would've loved to spend my entire career there. But there was a change in president and the philosophy of the club. As a player, it becomes evident. At the end of the day, it is football and you do what you love doing elsewhere.
Is there too much money in football?
There should be (laughs)! If it's such a huge passion that moves so many people around the world, then it's natural that it will draw large sums of money.
In India, old clubs are now facing a very uncertain future because of a new league that has come up. It runs for only 3 months or so. What would your advice be in such a scenario? Are two leagues good? Should legacy clubs stay?
I prefer leagues all through the year. See, then we also have families. It is very difficult to run leagues for more than 2-3 months if there are not many teams competing.
To Tebas: Would you approve of something like a five-club league running parallel to the La Liga? Say you get the top teams from around the world and make them play a league...
It would not be a good idea. In fact, it would be a failure in the European context because nationality plays a major role in how many people go to see a game. It may function for a bit, but it will be bad for that particular league and also for the national leagues.
In India, a lot of people follow the EPL. As a player who has played across top European leagues, which one do you think has the greatest depth?
I would say it's the Spanish league. If you look at the data, in almost all the major European championships ­ the Champions League, the Europa, the youth championships -you'll find Spanish teams are regularly reaching advanced stages, the semi-finals and the final. That is a clear indication that the Spanish league is the deepest one.
The domestic competition is helping that. You have mines of talent in Spain and that's what makes it one with great depth.
But it's not showing on the international stage recently. They faltered in the 2014 World Cup and then the last Euro too...
In the last decade, (Spain have) two Euros and a World Cup. A huge pool of talent made that possible. But, just like any other country, there's a change that's taking place in Spain. Yes, the level has come down a little bit, but that has nothing to do with lack of talent. A generation has gone and a new one is coming up. Soon, Spain will be back on top.
You were in talks with Barcelona when you were leaving Real Madrid. Do you regret that you couldn't move to Barca?
When you are professional footballer, you play for different clubs in different leagues. I was not only talking to Barcelona but also other clubs like AC Milan, Inter Milan and AS Roma, Tottenham, even Kolkata (laughs). So it was an honour that so many clubs wanted me.
You played alongside Zidane and Redondo, even Ronaldo and Figo. Who was the most special?
Ronaldo, of course, was spectacular. A lot of players have special things but it's Zidane who stands out. Even when the Real Madrid team used to train, there were times when he did things that the players stopped training to applaud him. That's how good he was.
What was so special about Roberto Ayala?
The best central defender that I have ever come across in my life.
You have been part of many Clasicos. Can you describe the rivalry between Real and Barcelona?
It's perhaps the greatest rivalry that exists between any two clubs globally. Some other clubs also have rivalry but it's nothing in comparison to what Barcelona and Real Madrid have. For a player of Real Madrid to play Barcelona is something very special. He goes through a lot of emotions. It's also a lot of responsibility because if you don't win, you won't be able to come out of your house for days. I have had to stay indoors a lot. (Laughs).
TO TEBAS: Tell us about the La Liga TV broadcast rights distribution deal among the clubs and if it's a fair and democratic system.
Democratic doesn't mean that it will be more equitable. What the system is that 50 per cent is divided equally and the rest 50 per cent is based on who is performing better, winning more titles and who has more fan following. So any club can earn more than Real Madrid or Barcelona. Nobody is being stopped but this is how the system in Spain is currently operating. The have another factor that between the club that is earning the most and the one that is earning the least, there can't be more than a three-fold difference. That's how they try to manage.
TO MORIENTES: How's someone like a Brazil-born Diego Costa received in Spain because he had a poor World Cup before his move to Spain?
Spain receives people from all nationalities very well. Because they love football, that's not there in their minds. One important factor that differentiates the treatment is how you are playing; it is irrespective whether you are a Brazilian or Spanish. You will be criticized if you don't do well. The players also have emotions just like any other human being and he will react. Nowadays there is social media (where players may react), but during my time it was not there, probably I didn't have even a phone. All these reactions that you see today (on social media) were not probably expressed at my time. But we are as human as anybody.
Do you think a player's fee of 80-90 million dollars is justified? And does it put extra pressure on the player?
Yes, a few talented players earn a lot of money but that doesn't mean every player earns such hefty amounts. Some earn only enough to last a month or a season or a year, but we have to respect the fact that the players who earning huge sums of money are also the talents who are the principal actors helping in filling up the stadiums. They are actually responsible for the entire economy around the sport. That's how it is. The amount that these footballers are earning haven't yet touched baseball or basketball figures.
TEBAS ADDS: The NBA, for example, recently had a new contract for television rights that was 50 per cent more the previous one. It saw all the players receiving 50 per cent more salaries. Let's assume a sport has two divisions, with 100 players. Fifty who are performing better are probably earning 2,000 euros and the other 50 are probably earning 1000 euros. That differentiation is there but it's justified for the stars to earn that money. This example you can also see in boxing matches where at times 25 million dollars ride on just one bout because a Floyd Mayweather is able to generate that kind of economy around that match. Fifteen years ago when there was no television, he probably would have earned just one million.
The player's character and social behaviour are also factors because today when you have so much social media, the player may be penalized, be it is his behaviour outside the football field. It affects his image and the ability of his personality to inspire his fan-following.
What do you have to say about Barca fans calling for Catalan independence during their Champions League game against Celtic?
MORIENTES: We do not like it. Spain is one country and there is a minor percentage of people who make a lot of noise but as a player I don't like it.
TEBAS ADDS: Spain without Catalonia would not have been Spain. It would probably have a different name. The decision of having Catalonia is not only of Catalans but the entire country. So that's an emotional issue for them. Spain consider it one country. They don't like to see things like that. It's a minor percentage of people who are making a lot of noise. This will go away.
Was Messi's retirement decision emotionally driven?
Yes, it was an emotional decision because players are like any other human being. They have a heart that beats. When you are playing, sometimes you lose, sometimes win. A lot of times things come out in the heat of the moment, be it on ground, a decision, or something on Twitter. But you reconsider when you are a bit calmer because as a player a lot of emotions run at that particular moment. So it was an emotional decision by Messi but thereafter he reconsidered it seeing so much affection from all over the world. I wish he continues to play for a long, long time for Argentina and in the Liga.
What in your opinion is the reason behind the marked difference in Messi's performance for Barcelona and Argentina?
Football is a team game. You can be a fantastic individual player but you need a win to win trophies. When Messi is playing for Argentina, he doesn't have with him the players of similar talent as at Barcelona ­ Xavi, now Iniesta or Busquets. Not having won an international title playing on his mind could be a possibility but I don't know it for sure. But when playing for Barcelona, he has other great players and together they form a magical synergy, which is not there currently with Argentina, who are probably going through a transition phase with young players coming in.
Tell us something about a player's life after retirement.
A footballer unlike other professionals retires very early, between 30 and 35 years of age. In my case, I thought through it a lot and spoke with colleagues who had retired. It's important to think carefully and accept it as a fact. It's a law of life. This is going to happen with every player. But it's really important to have a good social network around you, your family standing with you, people giving good advice. That plays a very important role. At the same time, for a player a lot of avenues open after he retires. For example, I am coaching and have become the brand ambassador of La Liga. You can also explore other areas of social life or commercially. I am lucky that even after retiring I am doing something which I am passionate about.
How do you get over the language barrier playing in different leagues?
It's a difficult barrier. For a player it's important when he is going to another country where they speak a different language to learn it as fast as possible. In my case, when I went to Liverpool, it was not so much of a difficulty because there were 12 players from Spain there. But when I went to France, it was really difficult. Several of your colleagues speaking something and you don't understand anything. In this case, players from Croatia and Yugoslavia are the ones who pick up a language very quickly.
Who do you consider the better player, the Brazilian Ronaldo or Cristiano Ronaldo?
Hey, why do you always ask me to pick one? If I were a coach, I would have had both in my team.
'MORIENTES AND 10 OTHERS'
We asked Fernando Morientes to pick his best XI - players he had played with and also those he had played against.
Ah, that's easy," he said with a laugh as he scribbled his name on the team sheet. "It's Morientes and 10 others."
Then he added, as he played his own fantasy football: "No, to be serious. It's not me in the front. That was a joke. It's always Raul and Ronaldo for me.
Then, it'll be (Iker) Casillas in goal. On the right defence Cafu, on left Roberto Carlos. In the middle Fernando Hierro, and (Roberto) Ayala. Ah, Ayala, what a defender. He was so strong in his technique. Muy bien! "In the middle, (Fernando) Redondo, Zidane, (Luis) Figo.
"Now on the left. Hmm.... Yes, Vicente! You know, Vicente Rodriguez from Valencia. When he got going, there was no one like him. Just too good."
'No one from Barcelona?' someone meekly asked.
"No!" thundered the Real Madrid man as he signed his name on the sheet and put the pen down.