To be a pioneer you have to be daring, probably also brave. And Vero Boquete (Santiago, 37 years old) is. In 2010, she emigrated from Spain in search of a professional and did not return. She became the first Spanish soccer player to win the Champions League, wearing the Frankfurt shirt in 2015. Germany, at that time, was the power of soccer played by women. Boquete acts as a cultural and football bridge between Spain and Germany for Morning Express in this series of interviews that aims to talk about football and not only.
Ask.At that time, was it emigration or oblivion?
Answer. The little information that was available was always from outside: the United States and Germany had always been references.
Q. How did you get that information?
R. With the little that appeared on television and social networks. It was a different time, the big men’s clubs did not have a women’s team. And the feminine lived from those who believed in a project and got sponsors, regardless of the masculine ones.
Q. Like Frankfurt?
R. Exact.
Q.And what did you find in Germany?
R.To most of the best players in the world. It was a competitive league, physically very tough. She knew that if she was there she had a chance to win the Champions League. That was my big goal.
Q. Did you learn to speak German?
R.Something if. But after half an hour in class she already had a sore throat. The pronunciation is very strong. She always said a phrase that Germans didn’t like: “Life is too short to learn German.”
Q. What was your life like?
R.I survived a little thanks to the few Spaniards I knew. People who had nothing to do with football. And that’s how I got rid of my homesickness for Spain. But he had a life as a professional footballer. The first thing they gave me was a car and an apartment. And they told me: “Tomorrow, at 10 in the field.”
Q.What car did they give you?
R.A BMW.
Q. Very good.
R. Don’t imagine that it was like the one the Madrid players have.
Q.Did you earn money?
R. Women’s Football. It wasn’t like now, but I was professional. It gave me enough to live quite well.
Q. What were the stadiums like?
R. The occasional game was played in a large stadium. But the majority, in smaller stadiums or sports cities. Women’s football already existed in Europe. Barça is not the precursor of everything because now they go to Johan Cruyff and play from time to time at the Camp Nou.
Q. How many people were there?
R. A little like now. Not every Sunday the fields were full. In Germany there was already a lot of fans. It was a world power and some players were well-known. There was not as much impact as now, but the national team’s matches were shown on television. There was a lot of culture and consumption of sports, as in all Nordic countries. And within those sports was women’s.
Q.Did your classmates ask you something?
R.They didn’t understand that a player of my level would not compete for the national team. If you are at this level, why not the rest?, they asked me.
Q.What did he answer them?
R.That Spain was in a process at a cultural level. We were not on the same level as Germany and the Nordic countries. Many things had to change at a social level.
Q. Did you talk a lot with Guardiola at Bayern?
R. I ate in the Ciudad Deportiva and many times I stayed to watch the men’s training sessions. Pep was the first one who came to talk to me. He introduced me to Thiago, Xabi Martínez and Javi Martínez. We always talk about football.
Q.You don’t know anything, do you?
R.Is the best. He always asked me questions.
Q. As which?
R.What are the trainings like? The style of play? And how do they do this? And that? Luckily, I was able to enjoy it. What Guardiola did in a country like Germany and in a club like Bayern has not been given as much value as it deserves.
Q. What is it referring to?
R. When you are in Germany you realize that everything is very traditional. Changing things is very difficult. It is very difficult to convince them. And even if you do, it will be for a short time. And, in the end, that’s what happened. They enjoyed Pep a lot, but they went back to being German.
You can follow Morning Express Deportes inFacebook andxor sign up here to receiveour weekly newsletter.
.
.
_
