Nobody could imagine a few years ago that the small Lugo municipality of Burela, whose inhabitants do not reach 10,000, would be the launch pad to the success of a group of ambitious girls who love the indoor football and who have recently been crowned as the best outfit worldwide at the 2020 Futsal Planet Awards. They are the players of the Fish Rubén Burela FS And with this distinction, they are rewarded for the good work they have been doing for several seasons, winning everything: leagues, Spanish Super Cup, Xunta de Galicia Cup, Queen’s Cup, or the European Cup Winners’ Cup played in Italy and that was his first contact with a international tournament that they mastered perfectly.
Source: Fish Rubén Burela FS
One of the main culprits for this success is the team’s coach for six seasons, Julio Delgado, whose sports life has always been linked to Pescados Rubén Burela since He arrived as a player from his native Salamanca 23 years ago. Right now he is experiencing a sweet moment in his career, as he has been named the second best coach in the world at the Futsal Planet Awards, in which they vote more than 200 people from dozens of countries. In turn, the sporting project of the Lugo team is firm, with a fixed squad to which signings are progressively added and with renowned players, Since the captain Patricia González has been recognized as the second best player on the planet in the same awards.
Source: Fish Rubén Burela FS
One of the determining factors for victory is also the unconditional fans of the team, both in his field and on playing fields throughout Spain. Besides, the squad is professional and compensated and the players live exclusively for football (some combine sport with studies where possible), with seven training sessions per week plus travel and matches and with him salary corresponding for the effort, since despite dedicating themselves to what they like, some of them recognize that they have had to give up certain things to get where they are now, but they do not regret it at all.
“The successes are ephemeral, we always go for the next game”
Source: Fish Rubén Burela FS
The technician, Julio Delgado, Before taking charge of the women’s team, he started as a coach in the lower categories and with the first team in the First and Second Division. Delgado acknowledges that in the last three years Burela’s team has improved greatly, in addition to laying good foundations with a important commitment to women’s futsal, which in view of the recognitions and titles that they already have in their record, has been a success. “The girls have won seven national titles in a row and it is difficult to repeat this success but we have to keep trying”, ensures.
The coach gives all the prominence to his players, a squad that describes how “of quality and with a lot of talent to which passion moves”. “They are still hungry to succeed and win, it shows in training and is the most important thing,” he says, while stressing that the team has a coaching staff of more than nine people and a medical team. Regarding the ages, the players move Jozi is between 24 and 38 years old, the club’s oldest player but “with the illusion of a girl”, clarifies Delgado.
Regarding the impact of the women’s team currently being the best in the world, the coach points out that “It is still far from the total equality between the sexes in all sports”, but it indicates that progress is being made because “the Futsal Planet Awards a decade ago wouldn’t even exist, apart from the fact that women’s sport moves its social mass and little by little it is acquiring more visibility“. Among Delgado’s future goals are to continue enjoying sports and training, always keeping in mind that “Successes are ephemeral and are quickly forgotten”, which is why he instills in his players the philosophy that “The important thing is to always go for the next game.” “Everything that is happening to us had not crossed my mind in my life, nor in my best dreams,” he concludes excitedly.
“I’ve had to leave things behind in order to be a professional”
The captain Patricia González, better known on the team as “Peque”, It is one of the great treasures of the club and today it is the second best player in the world, apart from being part of the women’s national futsal team. Came to Burela in 2011 and played five seasons, followed by two years in an Italian team before returning to Galicia. He started in football since he could remember, motivated above all by his father, an inveterate soccer fan, and at the age of nine he began to compete in Madrid (his hometown) in a team.
He is currently 33 years old and his career began to professionalize with only 18 in the ranks of Logroño, after debuting in the Honor Division at the age of 15. After five years in La Rioja he moved to Galicia conquered by the Burela sports project and by the dream “to take another step in his career” and that it has already fulfilled. “I have always been very clear that I wanted to be a professional about this and I had to leave things behind and take risks and bet hard on futsal to achieve it”, account, while being aware that “the life of the athlete is complicated.”
“You have to believe and trust a lot in you, and more so as a woman, to be an elite athlete in this country, in addition to the fact that aid is scarce”, Explain. His record, except for some isolated title, It goes on par with that of the Lugo team and to become the second best player in the world is not something that was within her plans. “I was excited but I am clear about itIf I am in that second place, it is thanks to my team winning it all last year “, admits, on what qualifies that it is a good ending to “a dream season”.
Peque points out that athletes of his level have “a parallel life”, in the sense that she remembers that when she was 20 years old and her friends went out to party on weekends, she was taking care of herself for a competition, apart from the fact that “the weddings of friends have to be a very specific month because otherwise can attend. ” On the impact of the world title they have achieved, she is very critical and states that “There is no color between the support that men’s sports receive compared to women’s” and he points out that “whenever the athletes try to claim this they even go so far as to insult them.”
“We want neither more nor less than what would be given to a person for being a man for doing exactly the same as a woman does”, clarifies, while emphasizing that “in Burela everything is equitable in the male and female team because They are treated like athletes without distinction between the sexes “.”That a Spanish futsal team does not appear in the media you feel sorry because you realize that they do not really value the feat, apart from the fact that it is not only that we are women, but that even above we are dedicated to a sport called minority “, dice.
“We must promote a society a little more egalitarian and grateful for what Spanish sport is giving “, proposes, while not hiding his hunger to win and that “He continues to dream of making history with his team and staying at this high level for many years to come.”
“I decided to come to Burela because they called me the best team in the league”
Source: Fish Rubén Burela FS
The player Alejandra de Paz is from Neda (A Coruña), she is 25 years old and this is her second season with the Fish Rubén Burela FS. In the world of futsal it began with just four years “as soon as he had some balance” and he gave a change of course in his life when, after playing four years at Poio Pescamar FS in Pontevedra, he accepted the offer of the Lugo team to be part of the ambitious sports project they had in hand.
“I decided to come because the Burela is the Burela, is calling you the best team in La Liga and now in the world “He says, while admitting that he has fitted in well on a sporting and personal level. “It took me a bit to get into the group in terms of minutes, but it’s not something that worried me or discouraged me because I know where I was coming from and who I was going to play with, there are very great players here”, aim. About the team, clarify that “it is made to win it all” and assures that “nothing of what is happening to him was expected.”
Regarding world recognition at the Futsal Planet Awards, consider that “They are not very conscious yet and are still assimilating it”, while being ambitious with an eye toward future competitions that play “be for them.” “We remain just as motivated or even more. One thing is to win a title and another challenge is to stay and continue as champions, which is the difficult thing “, argues. “I want to win all possible titles and cbecoming a more relevant part of this team and the Spanish team (where it has been summoned four times) “, wishes.
Regarding women’s sport, consider that “They are taking very small steps towards equality, not because they don’t want to but because they don’t let them.” “Futsal compared to traditional football is even ten steps behind, even in men’s teams, and this is something that needs to be worked hard to progressively change,” he concludes optimistically.