Joan Plaza returns to Madrid with his team mired in a serious crisis of results and his position in the air. Everything points to an immediate farewell at Betis. The green-and-white club looks askance at Luis Casimiro while the Catalan, for the moment, assures in this interview with Diario AS that he only places the spotlight on Real Madrid, the club of his life.
Is it your last game with Betis?
They have not given me an ultimatum. I have not noticed anything, neither from the managers, nor from the team, nor from the fans nor from the media. I am happy with the work in the circumstances that we are in.
Is it unfair to be questioned at the gates of such a party?
-I understand that they may think that I am wrong or that I executed the game plan badly. In that case, the club can make a clear decision. They know the coach that I am. If you think I’m not in the right place, I’ll understand.
Talk about the circumstances.
Carrington and Todorovic left. Suppose you theoretically leave the best player and nobody is there. Also our biggest threat on 3-pointers. What is going to happen you have to ask the club. It is something that does not depend on me.
What does that balance of 2-8 and the classification mean?
It is playing with a backpack. As if we asked a great hundred meter runner to run with a backpack made of stones. You have to take them out little by little.
He always talks about playing like it’s the last game. Is it the recipe?
It is the one that I apply myself. Perhaps because your life has focused so much on your work, on basketball, above your personal life. What you want is to play every game as if your life depended on it. Also, I go back to a place where I was loved. I would like the players to have that level of involvement.
Is it possible to beat Real Madrid?
One of the things I don’t do is cheat on the team. We play against a Euroleague team. You either have to compete or surrender. We have to get out of there, lose or win, with the feeling of being better.
Ten years ago he led Cajasol to a Eurocup final.
The club has nothing to do with it. That was one of the things that we will value the most over the years. We were about to play the Euroleague. It was crazy, nobody could think about it. Things were very different. It is always good that we learn from the things we do wrong, but sometimes it is difficult to apply it because there are other types of interests that make it difficult.
Do you have to change many things in the present?
-The first thing is to say that Seville deserves a team there. Ángel Haro’s predisposition was always the maximum taking into account what surrounds us. His professionalism has been exemplary. But many things have to change, many people, many habits, to have a team at the highest level in Seville. What we are dealing with now is attracting people. Betis, led by Ángel Haro, have tried. If it’s enough, time will tell.
Does Real Madrid scare?
When a team is able to maintain that backbone with Llull, Rudy, Causeur … They sign well, they make bets from the quarry … It is a spectacular job. They will compete for all the titles once again. I see Madrid safe in the Final Four.
What are you most afraid of?
Madrid players are winners. They do not care to play Parcheesi, pocha or basketball. They want to win it all. There is a level of brutal talent that makes it difficult to match.
What does it mean for you to return to Madrid?
It is always special. When I came back with Cajasol the first time, it was very difficult for me to focus on the first seconds. It is an important house for me because they bet on me regardless of stereotypes. Then the city also made me fall in love. Although I am now a tenth of people who remember me, it is always special.
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