In the Spanish Football Cup, it is not easy to point out the focus on one of the participating teams, as the eight offer plenty of allitions to attract the attention of the fans. Some, the greats, because they are eternal favorites in any … tournament they play; Others, the candidates, for their label of alternatives to the established power, and the least to appear by surprise in the great showcase of this sport. However, the Peñíscola Servigroup is the undisputed protagonist this year, because it monopolizes the looks by the three factors cited: it is both surprise, aspiring and favorite.
The team of the small coastal town of the north of the Valencian Community is being one of the most brilliant of the season, leader of the League and having also qualified for the Final Four of the Copa del Rey, with a dynamic and attractive style of play in which their coach, Santi Valladares, old fox of this sport, and the good moment that his players are going through, which form a template that a template that mixes a template that forms a template, veteranía Among them are mainly two, Francisco Paniagua ‘Pani’, unbalanced and scorer as demonstrated by his more than 20 goals so far in the League, and Gustavo Pérez Segura ‘Gus’, who at 45 lives one of the best moments of his career and has just debuted with the absolute selection.
Natural de Lillo, Toledo, Gus is living this extra life “Superfeliz, in a cloud.” Before jumping to the track in this Spanish Cup, it has enjoyed its first call with Spain, a reward for the record of the whole year, its good personal moment and that of its team. “When I arrived at Las Rozas Jesús Velasco, he told me that I had called me for my work, not as a prize for my career or anything like that.” The Toledo accumulates 24 years of futsal in which he has traveled a good part of the homeland geography, in addition to Peñíscola through Ocaña, Guadalajara, Pinto, Zamora, Benicarló, Gran Canaria, Navarra and Leganés. «I have been happy in all the places where I have been, I would not skip any. Could I have played in better teams? Yes. Having gone to the National Team? Also. But if I had changed things, maybe I wouldn’t be playing with 45 years and I would have retired at 38 … or I wouldn’t have met my wife.
The most curious thing is that his relationship with professional football began casually. «The second goalkeeper of Ocaña had a wedding, I knew friends in the team and they called me to see if I could approach a friendly match they had, in case something happened. There was the circumstance that the coach, Enrique González gave me 12 minutes, gave two goal passes and before I left the president and told me that they loved me to play in silver division ». It was not his first contact with this sport but he ended up marking his professional career. «He carried him in vein. I clung and look, 24 years later I keep playing ».
From another wedding, his, the signing for his current stage in Peñíscola came out. «I went to Leganés from Tudela to be close to the family, because my father had died. I already married Manuel Sierra, the president, who had come to the wedding, I said jokingly that if I wanted to ascend I had to sign. Due to circumstances I ended up returning for a second stage and what was going for a year, getting into the team and already, have been two years in first ».
Course revelation
Nor by Asomo imagined Gus that today would be leader in the League, in the Spanish Cup and involved in the Final Four of the Copa del Rey. «It is clear that it is a great year in which we are yielding to a great level, but I still say that we are a surprise. We must try to continue making the game we are doing ». For the goal the secret of this great performance is “the work and constancy of the team during the forty minutes.” «Then it is working and training a lot, and from there have people who put goals, people who defend … and that is happening this year. Pani is getting goals, Lucho, the pivots are very good, in defense everyone is being sacrificed and that helps. Then the results too, because if you have them positive even in some game that you play badly that helps to be calmer and play better. It is much easier to play so when you have the pressure to be down ». Perhaps due to excessive humility, the goalkeeper is not included among the strengths of the team, and if in the end it is detracting from importance. «Everyone says that the goal is the most important thing in this sport, but I already tell you that if the team is not, however well the goalkeeper is not where we are. I am to stop, but my teammates receive balls for not fitting, they press well and put goals … and if you don’t want.
With its refined pieces Peñíscola hopes to advance in this cup full of challenges. The first is a Jimbee Cartagena who began to swell his record just two years ago and won his first league last year. «We do not close to anything. We know that in qualifiers to a game you can win anyone, as Antequera or Betis the Final Four won. We know that the game will be difficult, that they are favorites only by budget, but you have to play it. If we are how we so far know that we are going to compete until the end. And then beyond this party you can’t think.
Whatever happens in Murcia, in the League or in the Copa del Rey, Gus still has a rope for a while. «I am not tired of playing or training, I love both things. If I had seen that it is not worth it or I don’t care. Another thing is the trips … because they are 24 years doing many, some very long, and every time with less rest. I think I will play another year in Peñíscola and from there we will see how the season is going. Not only does it depend on me, also on the club, the coach or the injuries ».
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