Rodri Escudero: “Racing is a great team and promotion, great prize”

Talavera has already been demoted to the Second Federation. But they still think they have something to say. Rodri Escudero (Simancas, Valladolid, 1994) scored almost half of the goals for the club that started the season they are now returning to. They host Racing de Ferrol on Saturday (19:30, InSports) aware that the Verdiblancos are doing their best, but they want to say goodbye to their fans by showing their faces and thanking them for their commitment despite the setback.

— Two days to end a season where nothing is at stake. As a soccer player, how do you face these kinds of matches?

— I try to be as professional as possible. It is true that the team is relegated, but on an individual level we are risking our contract next season. Obviously, we will try to give the best image for the club and for the fans.

— What will happen to Rodri Escuder next season?

— My contract expires on June 30, and I still don’t know where I will play. This uncertainty is common in this profession. That’s why these two matches can serve to define what will happen next year. It’s a shame we couldn’t save ourselves, but on an individual level I had a good year. We are always trying to progress in our career, and we will see what happens.

— How do you work your head off to face these two encounters?

— The pride, the desire on an individual level to show things are what in the end still make you try to play at the highest level. Logically, the situation is not pleasant because the team was relegated, and we are playing at home, in front of our fans. We will do our best to somehow thank the fans for following us.

—Beginning of the year in the Second RFEF to later transfer to the First RFEF due to the disappearance of DUX. Do you think it took a toll on them?

— It is true that the way in which Talavera reached the category was unfavorable for preparation at the sports level, because in the end we did not know until the last day whether we would be in one or the other category. It took its toll on us. We have already started with two postponed games. We had to play during the week, which also affects the level of planning. It can’t be an excuse, because I think we were prepared for the category, but the season didn’t go as expected and we couldn’t save ourselves.

— Now they get a racing team that could confirm promotion if they win and Alcorcón loses.

— We are talking about a team that has been playing in the playoffs for two consecutive seasons, that has almost touched professional football with its hands. We know that it is a key game for them, because if the circumstances are right, they could already be in the second division this Saturday. However, we will not get carried away or allow ourselves to win easily. We want to finish the season well at home and give the fans a victory, but we are also aware of the difficulty. Racing is a great team and the classification shows it.

— Do you think that what now rewards Racing, compared to its rivals, is its regularity?

— This is a team that I really like because of the way they work. They always tried to maintain a block of enough players and adapt. Other than that, they gave them a practically perfect second round. They dropped a lot of points and with two days to go they became the leaders. They depend on themselves, which makes their situation unsurpassed.

— This is a team that stands out for the very small number of goals conceded.

– It is a great team and promotion is a great reward, but I will try to do my job, which is to score goals.