Ivana Andrés: “I’ve had many sleepless nights because of the cup final“

Real Madrid captain, Ivana Andrés, joined Relevo for an interview during her time in the Spain national team camp. The defender is in Benidorm with the rest of the selected players to prepare for the upcoming World Cup that starts July 20th. The tournament is held Australia and New Zealand and the stakes are, naturally, very high.

“The truth is that I feel very good. It’s true that, this season, I think the last three months have been very good. I’ve been at a very good level. There was a lot of work behind it to arrive in the best possible conditions,” says Ivana after being asked what does she think of her current form, considering she’s now the captain of Spain and Real Madrid.

The captain confesses how tough some nights were after losing the Copa de la Reina final.

“I’ve had many sleepless nights because of the cup final, it was a very hard hit. We had it there and, in 10 minutes, it was gone. You had it right there, you could already see the victory. But, in the end, it is football. They made a comeback, we lost, Atleti did well. If they beat us, it would be because they deserved it.”

To the question on what she thinks Real Madrid is missing to win a title and whether it’s just a matter of time, the captain had a firm stand in her response.

“It’s true that we’ve been here for three years. But I also think that, at the same time, the players that are in the team already have experience. I don’t think it’s a matter of time, I think that this year we were there, in the final of the Copa de la Reina and, well, we lost it because in the end it’s football and you can lose. But I believe that time, as well as experience, I would not say that we lack. Because, in the end, I think that we do have that mixture of youth and seniority. In the end, they are details, and in football they pay off and make a difference. The most important thing is that we have to keep learning, keep improving and every year take one more step and get that title we’re chasing.”

Ivana was also asked about her relationship with the national team and the returnees that were the part of “the 15” that were on strike against the RFEF. She first expressed her gratitude for being selected to play for the national team.

“I have always tried to contribute on my grain of the pitch, either from the outside or when it’s my turn on the pitch. I always want to help the team.”

The answer to the question on whether she talked with the returnees already was kept as vague as possible.

“Conversations, logically, remain private. But I am very happy and very happy that they have returned. I think they are players of great quality and tops. They are players who, in the end, are going to contribute a lot to the team and I am very happy that they are here.”

The full interview with Ivana, with a few more details about the national team, can be found here.