Interviews
SAT 21.03.2015
Carlos Alonso González 'Santillana' (Santillana del Mar, 1952) was one of the most emblematic players of Real Madrid in the 1970s and 1980s. He helped Madrid lift many trophies during his 17 years at the club and played in 28 clásicos, scoring nine goals against FC Barcelona. With the next clash between the two sides taking place on Sunday, he gave his thoughts on how the match will pan out, as well as analysing both team’s current situations.
LFP.es: What memories do you have of the Clásicos you played in?
Santillana: They are fantastic games for a professional and interesting in every sense. Over my career I had results that were favourable and others that went against us, but it was always the best game you could hope to play in every year.
LFP.es: What is the best anecdote on a personal level that you remember from a Clásico?
Santillana: I'll give you a positive one and a negative one from the same year. In 1974 we lost 5-0 to Barcelona in the Bernabéu and in that same season we played the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona in the Vicente Calderón and beat them 4-0. Those are the best and worst moments of my career in the Clásico, all in the same year.
LFP.es: What is the dressing room like before a Clásico?
Santillana: In our era there was a lot of tension and the more experienced players, such as Camacho, Juanito and me, had to try and get the younger players psyched up. Especially those that had never played at the Camp Nou. Going out there and hearing them whistle us and sing their anthem motivated us a lot.
"In our era there was a lot of tension and the more experienced players had to try and get the younger players psyched up"
LFP.es: The week before the game must be special?
Santillana: I think that the biggest rivalry used to be Real Madrid-Atlético Madrid, because we are both rivals from the same city and we lived that rivalry very intensely. Then the Madrid-Barcelona rivalry really started to take off, because there were so many years when we were fighting each other for the league titles. You experience something very special the week before, we know exactly how each other play, you go out on the street and people say things to you about the game and it’s true that it’s very different to matches against other teams.
LFP.es: What will be the key factors in the game?
Santillana: In the end it will be decided by the individual quality of the players. Cristiano Ronaldo could score from a free-kick or a quick counter, while Messi could decide the game with his speed or with one of his assists. The fact that Luka Modric back has returned is very important for us.
LFP.es: What do you think of the two team’s form going into the game?
Santillana: In a game like this there are no favourites, even though we could say that as Barcelona are in resurgent form they are the favourites. But Madrid have an incredible squad, the quality of their team is there for everyone to see and the players are the same as before.
"The fact Luka Modrić has returned is very important for us"
LFP.es: In what aspects are Barcelona better than Real Madrid?
Santillana: I don't think Barcelona are better than Real Madrid in any aspect. Real Madrid are the better team. We have a better defence, we have a fantastic midfield and our strike force is spectacular. We know all about Messi and Neymar but Real Madrid’s front line is more dangerous, quicker and scores more goals.
LFP.es: And in what ways are Real Madrid better than Barcelona?
Santillana: Now that Ramos has returned, we have a better defensive line than Barcelona. I think there are some doubts about Barcelona’s defence and Madrid’s is a step ahead.
LFP.es: How does it feel to score at the Camp Nou wearing the Real Madrid shirt?
Santillana: It’s very special because you have 90,000 people against you so logically, when you score a goal, you feel you as though you have vindicated yourself. It’s very special in its own way and I’m sure it’s the same for Barcelona players when they score in the Bernabéu. The goals that you will always remember are the ones you scored in the most important games.
"I think there are some doubts about Barcelona's defence and Real Madrid’s is a step ahead now that Sergio Ramos has returned"
LFP.es: Will this game decide the title?
Santillana: No, not yet. We have seen how you can let a seven-point lead slip to one very quickly and I don’t think it's going to be a decisive game. The last few games of the season will coincide with the final rounds of the Champions League and the two teams will be very tired in the final league games. It’s very difficult to predict what’s going to happen.
LFP.es: Cristiano has already surpassed your goals tally for Madrid and it could be said that he is a living legend. Is there any limit to what he can do?
Santillana: I think Cristiano Ronaldo has no limits. He will beat every goal record there is and he has already scored 30 goals in the Liga BBVA. In any moment he will find the net again and score three goals in a single game.
LFP.es: What’s your prediction for the game?
Santillana: It’s very difficult to make predictions. Madrid could score a lot of goals if their front three can make use of their pace. I would take us winning the game by any scoreline - 1-2, 0-1, 0-2, I don’t mind.
LFP.es: Which player is going to be most decisive?
Santillana: I don’t know, it could be any of them. It could be a goalkeeper, a striker, any player could have an inspired day. It’s difficult to say what will happen, even though it’s obviously going to be a great spectacle of football and in the end it will be decided by an act of genius from a footballer.
© LALIGA - 2015