Everything About Joan Capdevila: World Champion and His Inspiring Words

Joan Capdevila has visited Mediterranean Sports Hub to take part with the team from the supporters’ club of his hometown, Tàrrega, in the F7 International Cup tournament. A 7-a-side football tournament for amateur teams from different parts of the world.

How did you experience your move to the league champions after two seasons as a professional?

With great excitement. We had been relegated to the second division with Atlético de Madrid, which was the worst moment of my career, being relegated with such a big club. The opportunity to join Deportivo came up, so Molina, Valerón and I moved there.

I had to start from scratch and find a new sense of excitement.

At Deportivo, I felt at home for 7 years of my career, it was a very special period.

Parc des Princes, San Siro, Elland Road, Old Trafford… What memories do you have of those matches?

Brutal. I remember those first years in the Champions League thinking that I used to see those stadiums on television and now we were here, playing. It was also very satisfying and exciting because Deportivo was not considered a major European team at the time, and we ended up causing many surprises.

In fact, I think we were the first Spanish team to win in Germany, at Bayern Munich’s stadium. We also won at San Siro, at Juventus’ stadium… We achieved great things that year.

We spent five consecutive years in the Champions League, and for Deportivo that was a lot. Look, for example, at where they are now (third division nationally, 2022). We had a great team, a very good atmosphere in the dressing room and we really enjoyed our profession. Finding a team that helps you enjoy your profession is not easy, and we found that in A Coruña.

How do you remember the historic match at the Bernabéu against Real Madrid in the 2001/02 season?

Very well, very happy, because we won. We were the luxury guests at Madrid’s big party, and being able to win at the Bernabéu, against all the Galácticos, was something nobody expected.

We did believe in ourselves, but nobody thought we could achieve something so historic.

In fact, when the match ended, the restaurant was full of Real Madrid crests and they had to remove them quickly because they thought Madrid would be coming, not Deportivo. It was quite funny.

At the end of the 07/08 season, you went with the Spanish national team to the European Championship in Austria and Switzerland. What were you feeling when you headed there?

We left with a lot of criticism, to be honest. I remember that a Spanish newspaper published the headline: “Spain are going without a defence”, or something like that. We played two friendlies before going to Austria, one in Huelva, which we won 2–1, and another in Santander, where we beat the United States 1–0, and we ended up being booed by the fans.

So we went there with very few expectations from the public, and we became champions.

Did you see yourselves as champions?

Honestly, no. But thanks to the work of Luís Aragonés, who from the moment we arrived in Austria instilled the word “win” in us, we started to believe it. In the end, it is about conviction, and Luís made us believe that we could win, and that is what happened.

Casillas, Ramos, Piqué, Puyol, Xabi Alonso, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Pedro, Villa and Joan Capdevila. What does this say to you?

Great players. The truth is that sharing a dressing room with these stars is impressive at first; you go from playing against them to having them as your teammates. It is a source of satisfaction and motivation too. I had to be at their level and not look out of place. I learned a lot from them, they welcomed me very well and everything is more comfortable when you have good people around you.

What did it mean to win the most important tournament in football and make history with an unforgettable team?

It was like touching the sky. Winning the World Cup is the greatest achievement. There is nothing more important than a World Cup.

After losing the first match against Switzerland, it was practically impossible to win the tournament. In fact, no national team had ever managed to win the tournament after losing their first match, because you no longer had any room for error. But we overcame several national teams and managed to reach the final and win it.

How did your family experience and share all these moments with you?

Family is the most important pillar. For a footballer, when everything is going well, everyone jumps on the bandwagon, but when things go badly, you find yourself alone. In fact, I struggled when Atlético de Madrid were relegated.

At twenty-one or twenty-two, you are still very young and you don’t know what is happening to you, and without your family’s support it is harder to deal with. They are the people who support you and are there for you every day.

Then, when you win, more people appear and everything is nicer when they pat you on the back. But that is football. Football is made for strong and brave people. If you are not psychologically prepared, many people get lost because they give up too quickly. In the end, the strongest are the ones who stay.

What do you think of the Futbol Salou facilities? What are you enjoying the most?

They are incredible; I had never been here before. They are extraordinary. Honestly, congratulations, we are delighted. The treatment you give us is very good, extraordinary. We cannot ask for more. Now we hope there will be a great spectacle and, above all, that nobody gets injured. That is the most important thing. We are getting older and the parts start to fail!

Who is the best striker you have had to defend against?

Fast players like Bale, Robben, etc.

Carles Puyol or Paolo Maldini?

Puyol.

Choose the stadium that gives you the biggest goosebumps when you play away.

San Siro, without a doubt. It has been the stadium where I have most enjoyed playing away.

Valerón or De la Peña?

I was teammates with Valerón and De la Peña was an opponent. Maybe Valerón because he was my teammate; I suffered a lot against De la Peña, a lot, because he was incredibly good. But since Valerón played alongside me...

The best team you have ever faced.

Pep Guardiola’s Barça. They were practically unbeatable.

Do you have any hobbies besides football?

Making a fool of myself, like today. Trying to play a bit of football. I also play padel from time to time and other sports.

The best dressing-room teammate?

I have had quite a few, luckily. For example, at Espanyol I was closer to Javi López, at Deportivo to Andrade, and at Villarreal to Cazorla or Senna.

The Copa del Rey at the Bernabéu or the World Cup?

The World Cup, it is the greatest achievement.

If you had to choose one season, which one would you choose?

Probably 2008. With Villarreal we had a very good season in Europe and La Liga, and in the summer we won the European Championship. And the 2010 season with the World Cup.

The happiest day of your sporting career?

The World Cup, clearly. But I have had several; making my first-division debut is something you can never forget. Between my debut and winning titles, these are the most special moments.