The following is a translation of an interview with Castellón manager Rubén Torrecilla by Rafa Mainez published in MARCA on 15/11/2022. It is a wide ranging and interesting interview, and you can read the original Spanish version here.
Q: Joining Castellón, an easy decision, right?
A: The engagement, the impact of Castalia, the people it attracts. Not only from Castellón, but also from outside. I thought it was one of the best options after having been at Granada for five years.
Q: Did you feel a bit intimidated or under pressure, joining a team like Castellón?
A: I would say the word is responsibility. You’re coming to a historic club that attracts 12,000 or 13,000 fans, and you need to be up to their level and what they expect. I didn’t consider it so much, I was coming from a city and a team like Granada which also expects a lot, but the correct word is responsibility.
Q: A football legend visited you at Castalia. Don Vicente Del Bosque.
A: It meant a lot having a legend of world football by our side. Not only for the Spanish national team, but also at Real Madrid and Spanish football in general. Vicente brings humility, he’s done everything and the fact that he came and said a few words was an absolute pleasure, he’s invited to come back any time. The word that defines him his humility.
Q: What do you think of the Primera Federación?
A: I think it’s a nice division. Very competitive. In terms of teams it’s very professionalised, with good players, good pitches, teams that attract a lot of fans. I’m delighted. We’ll need to work very hard to be up to the level of the competition.
Q: What room for improvement do you see in the division, both on and off the pitch?
A: On the pitch, I’m honestly very happy. There are two groups and four teams go up. There is quite a good level, and the teams are a lot more competitive with one another compared to last year. Off the pitch, financially, more could be done in terms of financial help to improve cash flow, sign better players, improve facilities…there are very good teams and very good players.
Q: And with a Castellón that doesn’t have any financial issues after the arrival of new investment…
A: No. So far, very happy with Bob, with the general director and the people that surround the club. They are very well prepared, very professional, the new facilities they are building are incredible, with changing rooms, a gym, a press room…we’re taking steps towards Castellón being in the league they deserve, in professional football.
Q: Do you think Castellón, like many teams in the Primera Federación, are taking a lot of steps to become 100% professional?
A: Yes, Castellón deserved to have a president, and I don’t want to discredit previous presidents, but someone has arrived who wants Castellón to grow and for that you need a professional structure and that the team can grow. Getting closer to the fans, having a shop at Castalia, as Bob said himself. But the key is to establish the key structures of a professional club, it’s what was missing and steps are being taken to get there. The areas inside the club are being improved and that is fundamental.
Q: Are the fans seeing this professionalisation taking place?
A: I think so, they see it on social media where the result of what has been done is being shown, as well as through the club’s communication, who update Castellon fans about everything that has developed since the new president arrived four or five months ago. He wants Castellón to get promoted to LaLiga and people are aware of it.
Q: Sum up the Castellón fans in one word.
A: Spectacular.
Q: Do you get stopped on the street?
A: The attachment this city has to football is amazing. When I take my daughter to school and they recognise you, going to a cafe and being stopped, seeing old people in a Castellón shirt…it’s something that reminds me of my time in Granada, I was there during Semana Santa and then everyone stops you in the street. Castellón is two divisions below and the impact it has shows you where the club needs to be, in professional football.
Q: What does Pablo Hernandez represent?
A: The first thing to say is that Pablo feels Castellón more than anyone. He loves it, it hurts him, but I’m very happy with him. It hurts him that last year Castellón was in the bottom half of the table, and he carried the team more than he should have, so I have tried to change his role. He needs to be a player for Castellón, he doesn’t need to win the games on his own. We need to win them together. Now he’s enjoying his football, every day…we played [a friendly] against the B team last week and he needed to play for them instead, but it wasn’t an issue for him. He did what was needed and played 60 minutes. That shows how committed he is to Castellón.
Q: Was there any win that meant more than just the three points?
A: Yes, against Alcoyano, the win in El Collao. That was the day when, as a group, staff, players, we made a statement. We knew it was a complicated place to play, as they were our direct rival, but with a huge number of our fans who made the trip it was one of the most important wins of the season.
Q: A game in which Fabricio, on loan from Levante, was one of the players that stood out. What does he bring to the team?
A: He really caught my attention. He’s improved a lot, he started off not playing so much, but he’s improving defensively. Individual improvements are team improvements. Defensively he is making huge leaps. I’m very happy with him, he works both to improve himself and improve the team. We hope to keep Fabricio for as long as possible for the good of the team.
Q: Another impressive performer has been Josep Calavera. Have you noticed an increase in confidence compared to previous seasons?
A: I was a footballer for a long time and I always try to treat my players as I would have wanted to be treated. I try to find weaknesses to help them improve. In the case of Calavera, he had some weaknesses defensively, because offensively he has a lot of quality, but I noticed that tactical weakness defensively and he has improved massively. He has a lot of interceptions every game and that really catches my eye. Many interceptions, many counterattacks stopped and that is what really matters to me. I treat everyone the same and I care about them.
Q: How is the scouting and analysis from your technical team?
A: At the moment there are three people working in scouting, data and analysis. There’s Paco, Delfín and Jack, who is Bob’s go-to-guy. He’s more in charge of data, analysing. For example, for corners, how many shots were taken at the near post, the far post, they analyse everything in detail that we might need to compete. Paco and Delfín are more about tactics, individual opponent analysis, we are very happy with that and they are doing great work.
Q: The club is betting a lot on “big data”, do you trust it?
A: It’s a step forward, for us, coaches, the fact that we have all the data within our reach, the analysis and everything we need to know about the opposition to improve ourselves is fundamental. Not only data, but also video, and you see that you improve a lot when you’re surrounded by such professionals.
Q: How do you see the rest of the teams in your division?
A: There isn’t a team that’s surprised me more than others, anyone can beat you. I’m struck by how professional all the teams are. You face teams like Eldense, who are coached by Fernando Estevez, someone I have a lot of respect for. He’s assembled a great squad, and they are rivals that will be at the top of the table. Sabadell, for example, play very good football, they control the ball very well.
Q: A message to the fans?
A: Just to tell them that they are the heart of Castellón. They always help us, and now there’s been a break, they can come back and support us. I know they won’t disappoint and they will continue to support the team, hand in hand to achieve the objective.