16-07-2005
Carlos Diogo: "Whether it´s a friendly match or the Champions, with the Madrid shirt on you always have to go out to win"
The Uruguayan Carlos Diogo visited the studios of Real Madrid TV to take part in the programme Real Insight. To an attentive Antonio García Ferreras, he declared that he wanted to give the best of himself to Madrid: "The fans demand the best for history and for titles".
Carlos Diogo is going to play with the number 21 shirt for Real Madrid, in the best team in the world. He was born in a Uruguayan family which lived intensely for the world of football. He isn't just a hope, in spite of his youth, of Uruguayan football as he is the real thing. He´s a polyvalent player, he's a little older than 20, and he started off in the first division of his country at only 16 years of age. Carlos Diogo is one of the new fixtures for Real Madrid of this season, he's already in Spain, and he was presented by the club be few days ago in Madrid.
Q- Carlos, how were the first few hours, the first few days, the first training sessions?
A- To be honest very good. The group welcomed me very well as they did for Pablo (García) and now all I have to do is carry on adapting to the place and the game.
Q- Have you talked to the trainer, to Luxemburgo? You have already done some tactical and technical training with him. How was it?
A- We were introduced and we were talking about how we were, nothing more.
Q- You had already gone into the changing rooms at the city of sports that you have also been in the changing rooms of Real Madrid for a few minutes. What feelings did it produce? As it's not a normal changing room. I know you that your teammates who had been in some very important changing rooms and they always say: "There´s something special when you enter that territory".
A- Yes, of course, it's special from the players that there are there, for their careers they've had, and you see it on TV and it's a dream to be there and play with them.
Q- When they called Carlos Diogo and said: Hey, Real Madrid want you to play with them. what do you say, how do you react?
A- It was pretty quick. Paco (Casal, the player's agent) told me that there could be a possibility and he was waiting, I was thinking about it. When they said it was all done I started thinking and realised it was something really great.
Q- The man you are talking about is Paco Casal, your representative, who has total faith in you. He even said to me: "He´s going to stay here all his life, he's never going to leave Real Madrid".
A- I hope it will be like that, hopefully everything will work out well. He has great confidence in me and I have to do everything possible to repay this confidence on the pitch. Forsome reason he has so much confidence in me and I have to repay it.
Q- You started off in the first division with River of Uruguay at only 16 years of age, very very young. It´s true that Bernabéu is impressive, that being in Real Madrid isn't the same because there is a lot of tension around it, there is a lot of emotional tension, that starting off at 16 years old in Uruguay, where people are also very passionate about football, surely must be a good training for it.
A- Yes, I had the opportunity to start young and that year I was training with grown men when I was still a minor. That helped a lot, as I was being built up in another atmosphere from being an adolescent to finding myself with all the people with a lot of maturity who knew all about the atmosphere of football. You have to adapt to it and here it is the same thing.
Q- Also you are on the Uruguayan national team and now here in the team of Real Madrid for example with Pablo García who here in Spain as the image of a hard man, very serious, reserved. How is Pablo in the changing room? Is he so professional, so serious, how is he?
A- He´s serious, yes he likes things to work out well and when they don't work out he always gets annoyed, or expresses it in some way. But later, in private, in the dressing-room, he is a really nice person. I know him from the national team and he a good teammate.
Q- It´s strange because the other day I met a man to lead also played for Real Madrid, Valdo, who was at Osasuna with Pablo García, and he said that Pablo would really miss Osasuna. Also his a leader in the Uruguayan national team.
A- Yes, also in Osasuna he has a very important role, as he has on the national team.
Q- Your mother is a schoolteacher, I don't know if she likes football but she has had to live with it practically all her life. How does she live with your footballing life? Does she suffer and enjoy it as much is your father?
A- Also, she suffers more for being far away. When I went to Argentina she was happy 11 hand that a little bit sad for being far away, but well, she watches every match I play, supporting me in everything, in good times and in the bad times.
Q- It´s not that there´s been a great list of Uruguayan players at Real Madrid, there were a few other players such as Scarone, in the 1930s, who was said by the newspapers and the media of the time to be the best player in the world, and who for sure was in the changing rooms with Santiago Bernabéu as a footballer. The truth is that you have a great responsibility because all the world of football in Uruguay have great hopes that you will triumph here at Real Madrid.
A- This is the kind of thing they have to do for your family, your friends, the people of Uruguay and if you can do well then people will be proud. You represent Uruguay and always think about doing things well.
Q- Have you talked to Roberto Carlos yet?
A- No, we have talked, but not much.
I´m sure you will have time in the next few months and in the next few years as I'm sure that you will be here for many years.
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