Interviews
VIE 20.02.2015
Sergio Álvarez Ortega (Catoira, Pontevedra, 1986) spoke to LFP.es about his career with RC Celta and his impressions about the Galician derby in week 24 of the Liga BBVA against RC Deportivo. The goalkeeper is in his fifth season with the Vigo club's first team and speaks to us about how it all started.
LFP.es: This weekend you face Deportivo. How does someone like you who has spent your entire career at Celta de Vigo feel about this game?
Sergio Álvarez: It's a very special game. Those of us who live here know that it's a very important game for the city and everyone really wants us to win it.
LFP.es: What do you remember of the derbies from when you were younger? Do you remember any game specifically?
Sergio Álvarez: The truth is that I have played a lot of derbies, for the first team and the youth teams. I remember a game for the youth team which we won 3-0, but above all I'll always remember the game in the first half of the season, which we won 2-1.
LFP.es: In that game you saved a last-minute penalty.
Sergio Álvarez: That was a very special moment for me because it was almost the end of the game and it meant we kept the three points. I'll never forget it.
LFP.es: And what do you think Saturday's game will be like?
Sergio Álvarez: I think it will be a very close game because both sides have a lot of respect for each other. We are also two teams in the middle of the table and we know what is at stake. However, if we are capable of playing the way we want to play, like we did last week against Atlético de Madrid, we will make things very difficult for them..
LFP.es: Last year you worked under Luis Enrique and now Eduardo Berizzo is in charge. What differences do you see between the two coaches?
Sergio Álvarez: Well, there are always differences with every coach. Luis Enrique had different methods of working to Berizzo's, and the truth is that we did very well with him last year but now we are very comfortable with Berrizo and adapting to what he is asking of us.
LFP.es: It seems that the team is starting to show signs of the great play you had at the start of the season. What has changed in recent weeks?
Sergio Álvarez: The team was on a negative run of results but not in terms of our play, but because we couldn't take our chances. We were the better side in many games but we couldn't get a win and we were badly affected by that. I think that the win over Córdoba CF a few weeks ago was key to us getting our confidence back.
LFP.es: Can we then say that the bad run was down to mentality?
Sergio Álvarez: I think so. If you go many games without winning, when you break that negative cycle, like when we beat Córdoba, you get huge injection of morale, and that has helped us regain our confidence.
LFP.es: In many games this we have see that you have no problem playing the ball with your feet, are these instructions from your coach or your own initiative?
Sergio Álvarez: I have always liked to play with the ball between my feet. We are also a team that likes to bring te ball out from the back so I think it's useful for the team. It's also something that the coach tries to encourage us to do, to play the ball whenever we can.
LFP.es: What do you think of the quality of goalkeepers in Spain? Do you have aspirations to wear the national team shirt one day?
Sergio Álvarez: It's clear that there is a lot of competition, but I will never lose the ambition to play for Spain. I will keep working towards that goal even though I’m aware that it's very difficult.
LFP.es: You aren't one of the tallest goalkeepers in the Liga (1.79 metres). Have you ever had a goalkeeper that has ever complained about that?
Sergio Álvarez: Yes, it's true that when I was young the odd coach told me that because of my height I would never get to where i am now. But I just kept on working and now I'm delighted that those people were proved wrong.
LFP.es: It's also true that this has made you one of the most agile goalkeepers in the league. Is that your best asset?
Sergio Álvarez: Yes, I think that I am good between the sticks and that my agility and reflexes could be what makes me stand out the most.
LFP.es: In your early years did you have a reference point that motivated to keep you working hard so you could play in the Liga?
Sergio Álvarez: Well, I did not have many idols but if I had to choose one, when I was a kid I really liked Víctor Bahía.
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