Q: Six great clubs (Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, Sevilla, Barcelona, Villarreal, Athletic Club) are very close to each other in terms of points currently in La Liga table. Who will win this year's title? Will it be Barcelona or Real Madrid again, or will we see a surprise?
In terms of winning La Liga, we won't see many surprises, like you mentioned. Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and Barca are the favourites to win it. La Liga is a very competitive and tough competition which is being played along a whole season and the best and most consistent team with the best squad will be the one that will win it. So I don't think that we could see a potential surprise.
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However, I think this year is going to be really tough like it has been the last few years. A point to point difference could play a big role on who will win it or lose it. This year things have been even tougher. We've seen how competitive football nowadays is and how every game becomes really challenging and sort of a test for everyone. But for me, these three (Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, Barcelona) are still the favourites to win it.
Q: Another team of yours, Middlesbrough, managed this year to return to Premier League for the first time after seven seasons and they have started quite well in the championship. Are they capable of achieving a good campaign?
After coming back in the Premier League from a long-term absence, the achievement would be to establish ourselves in a position to be able to build a team. I've talked to Karanka (the manager) who has done an excellent job in the club and the goal is to establish them in the Premier League, but it is still difficult for them to compete.
However, there are two cups in England and could be an option for Middlesbrough to win either the FA or the League Cup, like they did in my days there. Hopefully, they will.
Q: You played in the Premier League for five years. Last year a huge surprise took place there with Leicester City of Claudio Ranieri, who was your coach in Valencia, winning the title. Which teams will compete more intensely for the title?
Last year was unique after Leicester won the Premier League. It is something we don't get to see very often: to witness how all the big clubs in the league kind of not performing the way they should perform. I am talking about Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United. That allowed Leicester to win it. To see that again, we’ll have to wait for many years. It might happen one of the big clubs not to perform at its best, but the other ones will.
So the favourites to win the Premier League title are the usual. Chelsea seem to be struggling with the new manager but with the players and the winner's mentality they have, they still must be considered amongst them (the favourites). It is a long and very tough tournament. Despite the fact that there may be some differences in the points, all the clubs have to go through the Christmas period, which is something very tough. Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal are the favourites to win it.
Q: You have played for the national team of Spain. After your years there, Spain started to dominate in the European and worldwide levels by winning three major titles (European Championships 2008 and 2012, World Cup 2010). In the last competitions (World Cup 2014 and Euro 2016) they are not so strong. Will they manage to build an unbeatable team again?
Definitely, I believe Spain always have the potential, the players and the team to compete and to become one of the best teams in the world. We've done it in the past few years. We know how difficult it is to stay on the top. No one has ever done what Spain did, to win three in a row. That says how difficult it is what they have achieved. That is life: the cycles. Now a cycle has changed: Xavi, Iniesta, Xabi Alonso, Casillas, Villa, Torres. We have to build a team again. A team full of spirit, like that we had.
We have the players, but it takes time. Everything needs time in football. Nothing happens overnight and that is why we need to be patient for the new manager to find the group of players that will perform at the level of the previous ones. They'll put everything together and they'll find the right formula for it.
Q: From the current football players, which one, perhaps Spaniard or with another nationality, reminds you of yourself as far as the playing style is concerned?
It is difficult for me to mention a particular player that reminds me of me, basically because I don't believe in comparisons. I don't believe that two players are the same. So I wouldn't compare myself to anyone. There is a lot of individuality in a lot of players. I would leave that to the professionals, to the fans and the journalists, to decide who reminds them of me.
Q: What have you done after your retirement and what do you plan to do further? I have read that you became a DJ. Is it in a professional capacity or just for fun? What does music mean to you?
After retiring from football, I dedicated more time to my family, friends and my business; I was investing while I was playing. I have different businesses. Recently, I joined a group of Spanish restaurants in Great Britain: England and Scotland, going very well at the moment. I still like to play football when I have the chance and I work for television, mostly for Sky Sports about La Liga. I also work for different broadcasters around the world, such as Supersport, Astro, ITV; I dedicate some time to the media too.
Music is one of my other passions. I've been a DJ for a few years now. I play music in England and Spain, in festivals and clubs. It is something I do for fun. I don't dedicate much time comparing to other things that are on the table, but I always like to dedicate time for my passions and music is one of them. It is fantastic when I've got the time to do so and I try to do it as much as possible. I play mostly the music I like: rock from 50's to modern Indie bands and some soul.
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