Saúl Berjón: "The players have never let their heads drop"

Saúl Berjón (Oviedo, 1986) is the living proof that hard work, dedication and sacrifice can be rewarded. Having made his way up through the Tercera División, Segunda División B and Liga Adelante, the Asturian winger has turned himself into a stalwart for SD Eibar in the Liga BBVA. LFP.es sat down with him to speak about his first impressions of life in the best league in the world, as well as the Basque side’s current situation, which sees them fighting for survival as the end of the season draws near.

LFP.es: How would you assess your first experiences in the Liga BBVA?
Saúl: My assessment would be positive overall. I’m happy with the way things have been going and with the team’s high standard of play in particular. Although we are going through a bit of a bad patch at the moment, overall I think the season has been going very well for us.

LFP.es: Eibar were the surprise package during the first half of the season, climbing as high as eighth in the table, but that momentum came to a halt with an eleven-game winless streak. What has the team been lacking?
Saúl: Nothing. We are working hard and are as motivated as we were at the beginning of the season. We knew that a poor run of form would come sooner or later, although we didn’t want it to last quite so long. Sometimes your hard work isn’t rewarded, but the team is just as motivated and willing to work as ever in order pick up wins. Hopefully we can get a good result this week. 

LFP.es: What is the atmosphere like in the dressing room? Is there a sense of confidence or is a certain amount of worry creeping in?
Saúl: There is always an element of worry because you want to win. But we are confident because we were all aware that this moment had to come eventually. The manner in which everything went our way wasn’t normal, we had that rub of the green that we don’t have now. The players are at ease, we are working hard and understand that we weren’t going to qualify for the UEFA Europa League beforehand and that we aren’t going to be relegated now.

LFP.es: Your first Liga BBVA goal could not have been scored in more spectacular fashion, a sensational volley against Levante UD. Do you remember how you felt watching that ball go in?
Saúl: It was an incredible feeling. I was really eager to open my account and I could have done so earlier in that game with a chipped effort but Diego Mariño kept that out. To be honest with you, I didn’t see the ball go in. It was one of those strikes that either goes in or ends up in row z. It’s a shame it wasn’t enough for us to pick up all three points, so I would have preferred to have scored an ordinary goal that clinched us the win.

LFP.es: It seems that you have a knack of scoring against Levante, as you notched up another goal against them in the away fixture. Both those strikes were chosen as goals of the month by LFP.es, but which did you prefer?
Saúl: Yeah, it looks like I have their number. If only I could play against Levante in every game (laughs). The volley was more spectacular, although the other one was also a beautiful hit. If I had to choose one though, I’d have to go with the goal I got against Almería because we ended up winning that match.

LFP.es: You have had to fight it out in order to accomplish your dream. Do you consider the move to Eibar as a reward for your hard work?
Saúl: Yes, that’s how I feel about it. For those in the same position that I was, as there are a lot of players with similar careers to mine, I encourage you to keep fighting because good work is rewarded. It paid off for me and now I’m enjoying my football as if I were a 20-year-old. It’s never too late and now I’m loving each day as if I were a child again.

LFP.es: Also the fact you have got to where you are now today with this extra maturity and experience has to be a positive thing. You enjoy things in a different way, don’t you think?
Saúl: Yes, it’s true that you enjoy it even more. You are aware of how hard it was to get here and you relish it even more. You are a mature player, you have learned a few things and you aren’t scared of facing anyone. I remember my league debut in the Liga Adelante at Anoeta and I was scared, I had more fear than shame. Now when I think about it I don’t feel fear, just respect for the opponents.

LFP.es: You signed for FC Barcelona B in 2010-11, enjoying a magical campaign where you reached third place. What effect did it have on you to spend time with one of the best academies in Europe?
Saúl: It’s a spectacular place. It’s a pity that they only let me stay there for one year because I learned so much there. I grew so much as a player because I was surrounded by the best players. They helped me a lot to be the player that I am today, to enjoy myself and value things. Many young people didn’t appreciate what they had, they came from another place, but I certainly valued it because I had to suffer more than they did.

LFP.es: You had Luis Enrique as a coach, who you said was one of the best coaches you had ever had. What did you learn from him?
Saúl: As a coach and as a person, Luis was very complete. He helped the players a lot and for me he was a guy that was born to coach. I’m not surprised at all about how well he’s doing now. I am very fond of him and I learned a lot from him. He knows how to get the best out of you and how to make everyone happy, which is very hard to do.

LFP.es: There you played with players that made it into the first team such as: Martín Montoya, Marc Bartra, Sergi Roberto and Rafinha. Is it true that you still play Playstation with them on the internet?
Saúl: When I was there we played ‘Call of Duty’ a lot. We even had private sessions because we were a very big group. We were absolutely hooked on it (laughs). I play less now than then, but it’s true that occasionally I play it with them.

LFP.es: So, who was the master of those video games sessions?
Saúl: In 'Call of Duty' it was Carles Planas, who is now at RC Celta. Also Sergi Grimaldo, of FC Barcelona B. He played it a lot and he was very good.

LFP.es: You are the cousin of Adrián Colunga, the Granada CF player. What was it like when you faced him the other day?
Saúl: It was terrific. I was really looking forward to it because I had never played against him before. It was a shame that we didn’t come across each other very much during the game, but we enjoyed it. I hope some other day I get to play against him again so I can enjoy it more.

LFP.es: When you were both children did you imagine you’d end up playing in the Liga BBVA?
Saúl: To be honest, no. Not even when I was in Tercera División with Asturias did I think I’d get to here. If you look back, you realise what you achieved and the hardest thing is to keep hold of it.

LFP.es: Finally, what will be the key factors that ensure Eibar stay in the Liga BBVA next season?
Saúl: We need to keep going as we have been up to know, we need to keep working very hard and stay as hopeful as we were on the first day of the season. We are definitely capable of doing it.