Exclusive Interview with Ivan Campo: “Playing at Real Madrid makes you mentally stronger”

Ivan Campo is a former Real Madrid defender who played for Los Blancos between 1998 and 2003. The moppy-haired enforcer played an integral part in the team’s Champions League success over Valencia in 2000, and also lifted the trophy again in 2002. Campo, who also enjoyed a spell in the Premier League, lifted the La Liga title with Real in 2001. Realmadridnews.com editor Alejandro Gonzalez caught up with Campo for a chat:

How did it feel to play alongside players like Zidane, Figo or Raul?
It was a privilege, because they were world-class stars, and it gave me the chance to learn a lot from them.

How did you cope with the pressure of playing for such a big team?
When you arrive at Real Madrid you try to assimilate everything as fast as you can, because you have the pressure of winning since the first day. It makes you mentally stronger and it makes you try to learn more every day.

You won two Champions Leagues, one league, one Supercup,… Do you feel the press and the fans valued your work fairly?
Everyone has their favourite player. The press criticizes certain players when they have a bad day and support them when they play well. I always think I’ve had fun, I’ve played at the maximum level, I’ve met a lot of great people, and that is what I really value.

From your time at Real Madrid, is there any match you look back on fondly or that sticks in your mind?
There are lots: the derby against Atletico when I scored, the two Champions League finals, the legendary victory at Old Trafford… Only the fact of having played those games stays inside you forever, and I will always remember them.

You must have exchanged shirts with many players, is there any one you keep with special affection?
If you knew how many boxes I have… [he laughs]. Maybe the one I would chose over the rest is Andoni Zubizarreta’s shirt the day he retired from football in the World Cup of France 1998, for what it meant and for what he wrote on it. At that moment I noticed how wonderful and how sad football can be, because when you grow old and have to leave it, it’s really tough. I remember Zubi’s face and it hurts.

Who was the funniest character in that legendary team?
We had many: Ivan Helguera, Roberto Carlos, Guti, Alvaro Benito… The atmosphere was sensational, we had a great group, with young and experienced people, and that helped us achieved what we achieved: that people started talking again about Real Madrid as the best team in the world.

Who took the longest to get ready after the games?
That one is easy [he laughs]. There were two: Pedja Mijatovic and Fernando Redondo. They were always impeccable. They had their way of seeing those things, they took their time on the gym… They always looked their finest.

What did you think when Vicente del Bosque was fired?
I think people should be more grateful. They should have been more gentlemanly for how good Vicente was to the club and its people. I think he should have stayed more years as managers, but at that time Florentino Perez decided to fire him and maybe the way of doing it wasn’t correct. We should all thank Del Bosque and he should have exited through the main gate.

What is your opinion about the current goalkeepers’ debate in Real Madrid?
Real has two of the best goalies of the world. Iker Casillas has been the captain and the starting goalkeeper for years, and nobody can take that away from him. Now Diego Lopez is in great shape and he’s earned a starting spot. But it’s sad to see Casillas in that situation, although he has accepted it and he’s being a great team-mate. We’ll see what he decides to do if nothing changes.

What do you think about Gareth Bale price? Do you think he will succeed at the Santiago Bernabeu?
He’s a great player and I’m sure he’ll do well. As for the price, us players have nothing to do with it. We just play, and it’s the job of the presidents to negotiate the prices. If they are willing to pay those amounts, that is their problem.

Who has been your biggest influence in football?
There are two. One of them is Vicente del Bosque, because he was a very close person, he never talked with anger and that is very positive. And the other one, of course, is Sam Allardyce. After I left Madrid with all the problems I had, he helped me mentally and recovered me for football to play in a position I had never played before. I remember him as a friend, he helped me a lot.