Fernando Pumar, winger: “If I recover to the level I was at before the injury, I can be important for Racing”

Will Fernando Pumar touch the ball again on Wednesday against Racing? At the moment, it is not known whether, nine months after a serious injury — a torn anterior cruciate ligament and medial meniscus in his left knee — Racinguismo will be able to enjoy the full-back position. But what he doesn’t lack is desire and motivation. “I have a lot. I worked in the summer, but I didn’t play real football – he admits.

“First of all, how are you?” Are you already integrated into team dynamics?

— Monday was the first day when I did a full training, completely normal. These days are the first that I played with the ball head-to-head with the opponents, the center, I go to the ground to steal the ball… Until then, I was with Señé and Chuca, working a little with the group and one more by myself.

— Arrives on time after intensive summer work.

— The three weeks of vacation were work, work and more work. I did strength and field work myself to recover my knee at the level of turns, jumps, receiving… And on weekends to clear my head. One I took the opportunity to go to Son do Camiño, the second to be with my colleagues in San Juan, and the third I returned home to see my family. Disconnect, a little, but scabies happily does not itch.

—He is worried about the continuation of his recovery and is training with the team, but what is his situation with the club?

– At the first moment when the club talked to me about doubts about whether I would stay in the team or not, I was a little depressed, a little sad. But I’ve been tossing it around in my head for a few days. I spoke to them again to ask them to do the pre-season to show them that I’m fine, that I can stay because I can be important in this team. Not only at the level of the game, to raise the level in the pre-season, but I want to have minutes to show that I can play in the Second League. They told me that they will see how the training goes and how I manage, but also what will appear on the market.

That’s extra pressure.

— I try not to think too much about it and focus on being well. I know that if I recover to the level I had before the injury, I have the possibility to stay and be important in Racing. My only goal is to perform well.

— The injury happened in one of his best moments in Ferrol.

—It is true that the team moment helped the players to give the maximum level. Last season I had more ups and downs, but in the end I took the position and was important. And it came from that dynamic, knowing what the coach wants and adapting more to his teammates, who have been together for two years. The idea is to try to restore that level or improve it if possible.

— For a player of your size, what is it like to experience such an important season from the stands?

—You are in the day, in the locker room… but you don’t participate in the same way as your teammates. What we all love is the ball, soccer and the feeling of being one more. So I’m looking forward to getting back, also because of the little discomfort I had in my calves at the end of last season, which prevented me from completing a month with the group.

– How did you experience the season?

— Watching so many games from abroad made this year very strange. I already told my teammates in the preseason that I am more than confident that we will make it happen, that we will be first and advance. As the days passed, many began to believe that this could happen. And actually, with two or three weeks to go, when we were supposed to play Córdoba, I told them that if we beat them and the Unionistas, we would already be the leaders. I was wrong by a week. He was so clear that he was there for us.

—And there came an exciting ascent.

—It’s true that I had a little anxiety until we were left with one more, we started to push more and have more chances. That week I was honestly a little annoyed because I would have liked to experience it on the field, but the moment the game ended I just thought of jumping up and celebrating.

-What time is it?

“With the promotion. Although it cost me a little in the beginning because I couldn’t be on the field, I think it’s a reward for the club’s many years of work. When we made it 2:0, I hugged Jose in the booth for two minutes, we both cried like little children… It’s one of the moments that probably no one has experienced and I won’t forget.

—Tap the first friendly, the first test to start rolling.

— A lot of players still have to make the squad, but there is a desire to start playing real football because we are a little limited in the number of players for many tasks.

“Do you expect to have minutes?”

—I have not discussed his idea with the trainer or with the new physical trainer, but I understand that since I started with the group this week, they give me less minutes in this first game or I will have them next Saturday.

— What do the fans say?

“I get a lot of love. I think they have seen it forever on the field as well. I am very comfortable in Ferrol. There are a lot of them here, this could be my eighth season… And I already said when we were promoted that it is milk to achieve it at home after six games played. playoffs in my career without achieving it. It was very important to me, but the fact that it was in Ferrol makes it even more significant.

— And if the future finally keeps you in the Second League with Racing, what goals do you set for yourself?

— The main goal of the club, be it me or not, must be to establish itself in the category. And then the competition will tell where we have to be. This year, when more important rivals will come, this impressive environment in which we live in A Malata will surely grow. This is also a reward for fans, who can enjoy good rivals. And we hope to live up to it. What we experienced is incredible. Look at all the little kids of Ferrol wearing the Racing T-shirt.