Juan Bernat: "Eibar gives me the opportunity to feel like a footballer again"

The Press Room at Ipurua hosted the official presentation of 32-year-old left-back Juan Bernat as the new player of Sociedad Deportiva Eibar on Monday at noon. Accompanied by César Palacios, the club's sporting director, he answered questions from the media present at the event for the first time.

A convenient decision: «I had been a long time without competing. What I wanted was to compete again, to play football once more. I finished last season at Getafe and had to undergo surgery for pubalgia. As I said, I had been a long time without enjoying football, and I wanted to feel like a footballer again. Eibar has given me the opportunity, I am very grateful and eager to be ready as soon as possible”. 

His first days and the timeline to compete: «It has been a long time since I competed or trained with a team. I would give myself ten days or a couple of weeks, but we will see how I progress with training. What I want is to be ready as soon as possible to help the team from now until the end of the season. I have found a wonderful group. Also, I come at a positive moment because of yesterday's victory, which was very important. I am very eager to start and to be able to help on the field as soon as possible».

The team's system: «I think my characteristics are well known. I am an offensive full-back who likes to attack. The team tries to play that way, keeping the ball, combining, and also alternating with more direct play. Yesterday I saw that Ipurua is a very tough field for opponents, and I hope it continues to be that way until the end of the season».

Without a team, but staying active: «I followed a training plan. It's not the same to train alone as with a team, but I have been training a lot and preparing myself so that, when the opportunity to join a team came, I would be as prepared as possible».

The locker room he found: «It is a very good group, young, eager to improve every day, to compete at the highest level, and to try to finish as high as possible in the standings».

The goal in the 93rd minute at Ipurua: «A lot of joy. Winning in the 94th minute gives you an extra boost of happiness, and those were three very important points for the team».

What the coach asked of him: «I spoke with him when I arrived. He explained the game plan and the system to me. I won't say more about the tactical part because it's something internal to the team, but I really liked what he conveyed to me and the idea of football he wants to implement. That was important to me».

César Palacios: “It is clear that different circumstances and moments have to align for a player of Juan's level to be here with us. Above all, it is also important to highlight the enthusiasm he has shown to play and compete again, and, within his career, the humility to want to be here. As he himself said, everything happened very quickly. The market had closed, he hadn't signed with any team, and we had him on our radar of players. You always have to be aware of who is left available after the market closes. For us, it was a complicated situation because we didn't have the capacity to make moves, and until the last day, we couldn't resolve the situation with Buta, which allowed us to create the necessary financial margin to bring in a player. First, it happened that he became available. Sometimes you ask, thinking it might be impossible, and suddenly they tell you it might be feasible. At that moment, everything happened quickly on everyone's part, with enthusiasm and excitement, and that is something to be grateful for. From there, hopefully, he can bring out everything he has inside, especially that desire to play football, which is the most important thing, and contribute all his quality and level to help the team keep improving and face each match in better shape.”