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FLASHBACK WITH KOKE
Collaboration with Mahou
Host: Koke, welcome to Flashback. Koke: Thank you.
Host: I guess here, for anyone watching this video, the first thing they will see is the hair. I have to ask you about your hair at that age.
Koke: My mother liked curls and she left my hair long, as you can see.
Host: How old are you there?
Koke: I would have been six years old or less. Yes six . At most seven.
And my mother always left my hair like this and that's how I remembered it, long curly hair.
Host: Hey, this photo is with your brother. How much older is he?
Koke: Four. Four years older. Well, three and a half.
Host: And it influenced him much the fact you wanted to dedicate yourself to playing football as a child? I think you are very close.
Koke: Yes, we're very close. He started playing in college AmorÛs in the youth teams. From going to see him with my parents I ended up liking football.
Well, I signed up with him today and look where I am.
Host: The following is from your arrival in to the ranks of Atletico Madrid in sand fields. What do you remember of that time?
Koke: I have many memories. This is in San Fermin when I believe I was ten years old.
It was very nice. Because I remember that season we won the league in our category
As you can see, the fields were flooded. That is how it was before! Now it's totally different.
Host: Was it hard to pick up the ball?
Koke: Sometimes. When it got caught up in a puddle. Or you were cold! You fell in a puddle. You can't imagine how cold it was!
Host: This is from your parents, you received a trophy in the neighbour across the street, at the Bernabeu.
Koke: Yes, there were the Draft prizes. I could not be in that one because I'd been call up by the first team, one of first times I went.
Host: They went with my brother to collect the prize. And look at them there, super happy for their son, and the oldest is also part of this.
Koke: The fact that my parents have always supported me in everything. They are those who have always taken me to training.
For example, my father worked in the evening, and my mother had to take me out of school, running, on the bus to go training.
They have left everything so that I can fulfill my dream.
Host: This photo, when we saw it, it made me laugh, you have a real shy look on your face alongside one of the references on the time at Atletico Madrid, Fernando Torres.
How important it is that in the first team there are players from the academy! Like you, Mario, Gabi and Fernando in his day.
Koke: Actually yes. I think Fernando has been an example for all of us. We see in the photo, I think he'd just started playing.
And we were four young lads playing in the youth ranks and he took picture with us. Look at him super happy.
Well, I have a shy face, because maybe I can be a bit shy, he has been our example.
And we are proud for all that he has achieved. We reflect on it a lot.
I for example have reflected on Fernando who has achieved everything and made it in the national team.
And I 'm slowly achieving my dreams, which are to play for Atletico Madrid, and now I have the good fortune to be in the national team squad. I've been lucky enough to go through all the ranks of the Spanish side.
And it is important to learn as a player. If you prefer, you can go straight to the national side. You have a base of football, and then when you go to the full squad it's the same. Then you learn as a player and as a person.
Host: Because in addition to being successful, winning.
Koke: Yes, I've had success in the Under 21s. Then maybe in the world cup or European championships I have not been so lucky.
Host: The European U21 was...it was a great team.
Koke: Yes. Actually it was, we were a very good team and everyone was conscious that we were going to win and every time we went out on the pitch we tried to obliterate teams.
In the World Cup in Brazil, who is not going to like to go to a World Cup? We've got to be calm, the season is very long.
I'm trying to do everything possible to try to please the coach. Doing things right, helping out in whatever.
Trying to slowly get into that team, which is not easy. We are proud to play with many players who have won the European Championship, the World
It is spectacular. You walk into that changing room and it's impressive to see so many great footballers.
But then when you're with them, talk with them, they are just normal people like you.
Then maybe you lose the shyness, the fear, and you move forward to do the right things and keep working.
Host: This is the winning of the Europa League in Bucharest.
Koke: The first title I won with Atletico Madrid. I played three minutes in the final, but...
Host: It was worth it.
Koke: Yes, of course it's worth it. Even not having played I would have been just as happy.
Because it not only about this day. It's during the full season so there’s maybe some players who didn’t play too many minutes, but we helped the group, maybe so started, we all tried to help win the cup.
So I’m really happy. I won my first title with my team.
Host: It seems that you have got used to lifting cups. In this one you look more confident. I do not know if it's because you feel more involved here.
Koke: The truth is I felt a big part of it
Host: But it looks like you get used to it easily.
Koke: Well I got used to it. It is difficult to win a title and we had the chance of winning the upper cup against Chelsea, and the game we played was spectacular.
I think one of the best games I've played with Atletico Madrid.
I played almost the entire game and I was happy to have helped the team to the title and the whole game we did well.
What can we say! I think the picture says it all. Fourteen years without a win. Another final at the Bernabeu and well, there are no words to describe it.
Host: That was a tough match.
Koke: Ugh! It was very difficult, because they took the lead. Then we had a chance through Diego and he put it in.
We tried to fight, defend everything we could and try to create another opportunity to score a goal.
They had some chances, they hit the post, Juanfran cleared one off the line and they hit the post again...
And then you say, we're going to win, today is our day and we have to win. We believed in ourselves and that we would win.
Host: When he blows the final whistle it’s like taking a backpack of stones off of your back.
Koke: Yes, all the weight of people, everyone wanted to win. They for example, the fans of Real Madrid maybe believed that it was Atleti and they would win it’s been 14 years, we can never win. Well...
Host: They thought it would be easy?
Koke: Well, maybe easier than it was and we had a great game.
FLASHBACK WITH KOKE
Collaboration with Mahou