Canales: I had a chance to join Barca as a child; I don't see my Real Madrid experience as a failure

Racing Santander midfielder Canales recently gave an interview, looking back on his career.

Canales recalled that as a child, he had the opportunity to join Barcelona, but it fell through due to his parents' work.

Many years later, you finally returned to your hometown to play.

"Yes, I'm very happy. I've been away from home for 17 years, and now I'm finally back."

Tell us about your earliest memories of football.

"I remember the first time I played a game, and after the game, the coach told me: 'Instead of practicing football, you'd be better off learning ballet.' That sentence has been etched in my heart ever since."

Tell us about your connection with Barça.

"Barça did want to sign me back then, and my parents took me to visit La Masia. I really wanted to stay there at the time. But my parents worked in Cantabria, and they said they had their own lives and couldn't put everything on hold to accompany me to train."

Tell us about your mentor, Portugal.

"I remember Portugal starting me against Sevilla, and I scored two goals. Actually, I remember playing terribly in that game, but two scoring opportunities changed the situation."

Tell us about the popularity you enjoyed at that time.

"Ferguson contacted me, Ancelotti contacted me, but the most attractive offer at the time came from Manchester City. They offered astronomical sums in all aspects. I wanted to leave some money for Santander, so I proactively contacted the club to renew my contract. When Real Madrid came calling, we demanded that they pay a transfer fee to Santander. If I hadn't gone to Real Madrid then, I definitely would have gone to Manchester City."

Tell us about the situation after joining Real Madrid.

"I originally wanted to go out on loan for experience, but Mourinho insisted that I participate in pre-season training. I even started against Mallorca, but I still called the club to communicate my desire to go out on loan for some experience. However, the club ultimately rejected my request, believing I had to stay with the team."

Talk about Mourinho.

"In some ways, I'm still grateful to Mourinho. Mourinho always firmly believed that only by being strict with young people could they become stronger. I can't remember some of the specific conversations now, but some things still stick with me – in certain games, I felt I should have played, but in the end, he didn't even include me in the squad... This situation hit me hard. I remember crying on the sofa all afternoon after returning home. I can only say that this experience made me more mature."

Did you not receive any help?

"I desperately needed help back then, but I never got it. The most painful thing for me was knowing that I wasn't good enough for the first team at the time. I even asked to go out on loan, but the club disagreed. Many people think my time at Real Madrid was a failure in my career, but I don't see it that way, because that experience helped me become who I am today, allowing me to still be playing in La Liga at 35."

Do you regret joining Real Madrid?

"I once told myself: 'I want to see how top players like Ronaldo, Arbeloa, and Alonso train.' Before joining Santander's first team, I didn't go to the gym, and I would watch movies before games. Of course, you eat popcorn when watching movies, sometimes even three bags, and then go for a burger or something afterwards. But after coming to Real Madrid, I saw what world-class players like Ronaldo, Arbeloa, and Alonso did. I learned how to prepare before and after games. After that year at Real Madrid, my mindset shifted, and I started wanting to hire a nutritionist and a fitness coach."

What would you say to your 19-year-old self?

"Learn, try to enjoy – because everything waits for no one. At that time, I felt far more pain than joy at Real Madrid, and it really took a lot of effort to turn that mindset around."

Any advice for Sergio Martínez?

"Unlike me back then, Martínez is always among the first to arrive at the gym. After one training session, I talked with him for over an hour. He was feeling lost and didn't know what to choose. I listened to his thoughts and understood his situation. The day Martínez left, I shed tears. He loved Santander, and he told me his dream was to return here someday. I wish him all the best for the future."

Talk about the best players you've played with.

"Ronaldo is very serious in training. If you're on Ronaldo's team in a training match and you play badly, Ronaldo will criticize you harshly, but he means no harm. Ronaldo is very demanding, but he also gives you a lot of practical and useful advice. When I played for Spain against Ronaldo's Portugal, he would even come over to greet me. We still have a very good relationship."

Talk about Valencia.

"At the time, I had two loan options: one was to Wolfsburg, and the other was to Valencia. Valencia's coach was Emery, and choosing Valencia was a wise decision because working with Emery was truly great. Although I only worked with Emery for one year and suffered an ACL tear during that time, I still admire him greatly."

Talk about your ACL tear.

"After recovering from my first ACL tear, I played in the Europa League knockout match against Atlético Madrid, and in that game, I tore my ACL again, and also injured my meniscus and medial collateral ligament... Although I returned early in the end, the doctor told me after the examination that I would have to rest for at least another nine months. My right leg suffered two serious injuries, and then my left leg suffered another serious injury at Real Sociedad... Let's put that aside for now. At Valencia, I also suffered a hamstring injury. At that time, I fell into a vicious cycle, feeling that I would get injured again as soon as I accelerated, which made me hesitant on the field."

Was your early indulgence a cause of your recurring serious injuries?

"I don't think so. I changed my lifestyle in my first year at Real Madrid. I didn't dare to eat freely even when traveling to Rome. I strictly avoided all restricted foods and adhered 100% to my diet plan. If my career had been smooth sailing without these serious injuries, I think I would have been a better player, but I don't know if such a smooth career would be more worth being proud of than my real-life career with its ups and downs."

Do you think psychological issues or physical issues have a greater impact on the game?

"Definitely psychological issues. If I have 50% physical condition and 100% mental condition, then I know how to play to my strengths and hide my physical shortcomings. But if I have 100% physical condition and 50% mental condition, then my mind itself is in disarray, and I can only play chaotically on the field."

What have you learned from injuries?

"Don't give up, keep moving forward, and even if you're not feeling well physically, play through the pain and enjoy that feeling. Three ACL injuries forced me to miss three years, but I never missed a game due to a minor muscle strain."

Talk about Real Sociedad.

"Real Sociedad has a very good team atmosphere, and they have players like Vela and Griezmann... There, I found a different self and underwent a transformation."

Review your career at Real Sociedad.

"At Real Sociedad, I suffered my third ACL tear of my career. This time it took me a full nine months to recover, and I even considered retirement at one point. My wife helped me a lot; she provided extra motivation for my recovery. I went to the club for physical therapy during the day and to another gym for rehabilitation in the afternoon. At that time, I also started psychological counseling. The counselor told me that I should set a goal of returning to the Spanish national team. I thought, how could the Spanish national team want someone with three serious ACL injuries? But in the end, I achieved that goal. Under the guidance of the psychologist, I began to rekindle my fighting spirit and always suggested to myself that I wanted more. However, as time went on, I realized that staying at Real Sociedad would inevitably prevent me from moving forward, because Real Sociedad had established other tactical cores, and I could only be a supporting player. So, in order to transform, I had to change clubs and become a core player elsewhere. Eventually, Setién, who was coaching Real Betis, appeared. After an in-depth conversation with him, I was convinced that this was the best place for me, so I took that step."

Talk about winning the Copa del Rey with Real Betis.

"That was winning the trophy again after seventeen years. Although I started my career at Racing Santander, as soon as I arrived at Betis, I felt an immediate connection, as if I was destined to be there. Those years at Real Betis were the happiest period of my career. My wife has no interest in football, but even she became a Real Betis fan during those years."

Talk about Pellegrini.

"Pellegrini is very good at managing the dressing room. He is very good at observing the players' condition and knows how to make adjustments in midfield. For such a coach who does an excellent job wherever he works, I have nothing but praise."

Talk about Mateu Lahoz.

"I remember one game, it must have been against Cadiz, I was running on the field and Mateu Lahoz suddenly came up to talk to me. He said: 'Sergio, how are your parents? Are they doing well? Say hello to them for me.' Then, at 90 minutes, I protested to Mateu Lahoz, saying Cadiz was time-wasting, and he gave me a yellow card. I was a bit unhappy, so I said: 'Listen, if you don't want to hear what I have to say, then don't ask about my parents.' As soon as I said that, he pulled out a red card. Later, when I was interviewed, I recalled this incident and said I didn't understand the red card. As a result, the Spanish Football Federation gave me an additional four-match ban. Although that ban was later overturned on appeal, in the first game after the ban was lifted, I was on the field for just 20 minutes, and the referee sent me off with another red card..."

Why did you leave Betis later?

"My wife had some personal issues and needed a breather. As for me, I felt a cycle had ended, and it was a natural time to leave. I suggested leaving, but there was no dissatisfaction during that period. Guardado and H.Moreno both recommended I play in Mexico, so I went. I love the football atmosphere in Mexico, and those years in Monterrey were some of the best experiences of my life."

Talk about Enrique.

"Enrique is the best. He solves many things with just a few words. He would tell me where to run, and then tell me that running to that position would give me a one-on-one opportunity. I did as he said, and the opportunity really came. The goal I scored against the Netherlands was precisely what Enrique had specifically planned and practiced the day before the match."

Talk about Mexican football, what's bad about it, and what's good about it?

"The worst thing about Mexican football is definitely the tactical aspect. The best thing is definitely the pace of the games here. Liga MX is a very open, very bold league. Everyone likes to attack proactively, so there are a lot of goals. Liga MX is really exciting. I feel they still have room for improvement in marketing."

Talk about the Mexican national team's performance in this World Cup.

"They played very well, and I admire their performance."

Talk about the incident where you kicked down a glass door with Demichelis.

"I once reached the final with Demichelis, but the next season we had a bad start, and the dressing room atmosphere wasn't great. I candidly told Demichelis my thoughts, and then we started arguing, but it was just a few words... I was a bit emotional and got a bit caught up in it at the time. But honestly, I didn't intend to kick down the glass door. I was in a hurry to leave, planning to leave without showering because I didn't want to see Demichelis anymore. As I passed a glass door, I was furious, so I cursed and kicked the door open. Who would have thought the door would just shatter? Actually, Demichelis and I generally got along very well. He's an excellent coach who helped me continue to improve and progress even at 32. We still keep in close contact to this day."

What's on your mind returning to Racing Santander?

"I play every game here as if it's my last. I really love this stadium and its atmosphere."

Talk about the level of La Liga.

"You can look at Betis' squad, and then look at Real Madrid's squad. These two teams, in a way, reflect the strength of La Liga. I think it's very difficult to win in La Liga these days. We have to give our all to win."

Are you still strictly controlling your diet?

"Yes, I try to avoid red meat, dairy..."

Do you have any habits?

"Soaking in an ice bath before warming up helps me focus."

What other sports do you like besides football?

"NBA."

Who is greater, Jordan or LeBron James?

"I can only say I've seen LeBron James play live."

What are your pursuits outside of football?

"I want to be a responsible father and husband, to earn the trust of my wife and children. My wife is my source of motivation and my partner in battle. She made great sacrifices during those years in Mexico. To me, she is a role model, and I am incredibly proud to have her as part of my team."

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