Reaching the middle of April with promotion in your pocket, with just three defeats in a very difficult and even category, has merit. His track record in Spain is completely new, but Abel Segovia is already known throughout the football world. It escapes no one that Antequera CF has based a large part of its immaculate season on an election that was not without controversy at first. At 43 years of age, this ex-soccer player from Morón de la Frontera attends us to better understand what happened this Saturday in El Maulí.
Let’s start with the challenge he faced at the beginning of the summer and not with the culmination of the promotion to First RFEF. How do you remember that moment?
It was not easy. I knew that I was coming to a club with everything to do, very humble. But I like challenges. At first it was difficult for people to go to the soccer field. And to achieve this Saturday you have to give everything. Very early on I did say that we were going to make people proud of their team. And as the weeks went by, little by little more and more people went to the stadium. And I hope that from now on El Maulí will always be as full as this weekend. Making people happy is my first goal. It is part of the values that I personally want to transmit as a coach.
And who brings a young coach to Antequera, with experience outside of Spain and without much track record here in Andalusia?
The bet is Edu Espada, now in Jerez. He was the general director and he was the one who defended my appointment tooth and nail. It’s not that people didn’t want me to come. The issue is that there were other names on the table. He managed to convince them. I only have words of gratitude for him and for everyone who showed his confidence in what Edu was commenting on. Having said this, I want to state that I am the coach of this squad and I just can’t get anything. The coach gives the tools to the players and they are the architects of success.
Would you yourself have doubted your appointment as a director of Antequera CF?
Managers had to trust. And the other day I said it. My career was limited and in their role I would have had doubts, yes. But you have to trust people. And I am tremendously grateful to Ángel, to Alberto, to Álvaro. To all those who had in their hands the possibility of signing me or not. Then the results come and make you have full confidence. But in that first moment everything could have gone well or badly.
This promotion was going to arrive one week or another, what can you tell us now about the next project in Primera RFEF?
It is clear that the board and sports management have been working on one stage and another for many weeks. You can’t stop in soccer. We have had meetings, including the possibility of renewing players. To me, for example, a renewal proposal was made to me some time ago. But there are four games left and you have to respect the category and the profession and go to all fields to win. Until the promotion arrived, I already told them that I was not going to sign anything.
I don’t think Málaga will go down. I don’t want it. It is a benchmark club in the province. It must be in the First Division or even in the Second Division.
How do you see the situation Malaga CF having very close people on the bench at La Rosaleda?
I don’t think Málaga will go down. I don’t want it. It is a benchmark club in the province. It must be in the First Division or even in the Second Division. And it is also true that I know the coaching staff perfectly, especially Manolo, as well as Sergio Pellicer. It is very good that he remains in the category, that he can return to First Division, and continue to be a benchmark in the province and throughout Andalusia.
Do you keep any special moment from this historic campaign?
They have been a lot. I have enjoyed the tour very much. As a footballer I was looking for better contracts, better teams. But I have learned from life that there are more important things. This Saturday I enjoyed when each player came and told me what he had done for them. And the 0-2 against Recreativo was very nice. The local fans waited for my team to recognize their efforts. Here in Antequera, if you work and build a good structure, why not dream of higher levels.