The Spanish-Equatoguinean spoke to Jose Luis Gual of Flashscore and analysed the current situation of Real Madrid as well as football in general.
Question: You made your debut in the Real Madrid first team in the 2005-2006 season under Wanderley Luxemburgo, replacing David Beckham. Is that right?
Answer: That's right, that's right. In October I think I remember, on the 25th. I had been training with the first team for one or two weeks until I got the surprise of the call-up and the debut.
Q: In that Madrid team, coming on for one of the most influential figures of that project. How was that?
A: One of the most iconic players of the era of the Galacticos, not only for football, but also for what transcended outside of it. To this day he is still an icon and a reference in the world of football.
Q: Madrid's youth academy is still very important, it has produced many footballers of the highest level. But not everyone can carve out a long-term career at the club as there is a lot of competition. Once you leave Madrid, how do you recover mentally?
A: There are different cases, in my particular case I had a five-year contract with Real Madrid. In the first year we won the league, but my participation was scarce for what I believed I should play. You are looking for a way out, in this case with Quique Sanchez Flores at Benfica, who I already had as a coach with Real Madrid's youth team.
The reality is that I didn't end up settling in the team, Quique didn't count on me. Then another coach arrived, Jorge Jesus, who now coaches Al Hilal, and I was unlucky enough to suffer a knee injury. Everything becomes an uphill battle after that.
Q: It looks like Kylian Mbappe will be at Madrid next season. Will it be another period of Galacticos at Madrid or do you see it differently?
A: I don't think so, because Zidane, Figo, Ronaldo were huge signings. Here there are no golden signings apart from Modric, who may not continue next season. They all come with a lot of hunger and with the desire to try to conquer the maximum with Real Madrid and they come at a much better age than the Galacticos did.
It's going to be a spectacular future in which everyone is the best in their position. It's a very balanced team and I think that in sporting terms it could get even better.
Q: It has been said a lot that the good feeling in the dressing room could be broken by Mbappe's arrival. I understand from your words that you don't think so?
A: I don't think so because, in fact, if you ask the dressing room, they would be delighted with the arrival of Mbappe, because of the impact on the dressing room and on them. Let's not forget that this is a collective game and what matters here is to win, if the team is doing well, it's good for everyone, in terms of bonuses, impact and everything. Mbappe, without a doubt, is the best for me at the moment.
"For me Davies is the best left-back in the world right now."
Q: There is a lot of talk about the possible arrival of Alphonso Davies. Do you like him?
A: For me he is the best left-back in world football right now and he has to come here. Especially because of what we hear and that he has not renewed at Bayern. Everything indicates that it would be a brutal blow on the table.
Nowadays they measure everything, the intensity, the speed at which you run, your ability to reduce effort, if you are at risk of injury. This makes footballers more athletic and you have a squad with Davies, Militao, Rudiger, Camavinga, Valverde, Tchouameni, Bellingham. They are the best.
Q: Within this new-look Madrid team, does Luka Modric no longer fit?
A: I think it should be his last season. He deserves to retire as what he has been, the best player of the last 10 years at Real Madrid, apart from Cristiano, who is above them all. For me he has been my favourite player.
This season I know he's having a tough time, he doesn't look as bad as people make him out to be or with the comparison with Toni Kroos. It would be his time to leave the club with full honours and total respect.
Q: One of the phrases that caused some controversy is when you said on El Chiringuito that you didn't see Modric and Kroos being compatible on the pitch at the same time?
A: I don't think I was wrong because Ancelotti doesn't see them together either. When I said that sentence, I put it in context, if it was a Madrid-City or a Madrid-Barca game they can't play together because on a physical level when there are defensive transitions they find it harder than Tchouameni, Camavinga or Valverde. They can still play together against mid-table teams.
Q: Is there a title race in LaLiga or not?
A: I don't think so, because even if Madrid slip up one more game, which they probably will, Barca are not going to win everything. It's going to be hard for them.
Girona are a team that I love to see play and they are doing a spectacular job, but we have to see the pressure when they play for the league title. Nobody expected Madrid to give them a heavy loss at the Bernabeu. That tension, those moments of putting everything on the line, that's what they're not used to.
"Messi and Cristiano ended their careers when they left Europe."
Q: And in the Champions League, do you see City as favourites?
A: Yes, City are the reigning champions, they have the magic of football which is goals with Haaland and De Bruyne. Both have come back recently, and the Belgian is one of the best players in Europe. Because of the way Guardiola plays, City are pretty well established and are the big favourites without ruling out Real Madrid and, although they are not at their best, Bayern Munich.
Q: Who do you think has chosen the best route to end their career? Messi or Cristiano, MLS or the Saudi Pro League?
A: I think they both finished once they left Europe. Identifying who finishes worse or better is indifferent, once they leave Europe they don't leave to compete, they leave to have fun.
They are two players who have had very similar careers and have been subjected to the highest demands for many years and what they have done has never been done by anyone in history. It's not going to happen again.
Messi has decided to go there because he believes that he will be much better off as a family. Cristiano is going to Saudi Arabia because he has the best financial contract ever signed. They have made the right decisions for themselves.
