Interview with Fernando Redondo
Diario-Ole (Argentina)
December 17, 2002
Translated by Humbird
Interview with Fernando Redondo
Q. All this time, you never thought about quitting football.
FR. Sincerely, no. In life, one thing you can never do is quit. Football is my great passion, and for many years also my profession. And besides I had something personal I could not leave undone. I had to bring out the best in myself and for that reason, I could not quit. Thanks to God I could overcome this and now I feel very good with myself and all the effort has more value to me.
I did have some bad moments spiritually. But the truth is that they were all overcome and I have no bad memories. From the first day I was injured, through the three operations, I only thought about returning some day to wear the red and black shirt of Milan. Clearly, there was a lot of effort and work involved in my recovery. I had to start from zero. It was terrible. My knee became an obsession for me, an anxiety within myself. There had to be a cure and I had to play again. Many times I thought this. Thanks to God, the effort was successful.
Q. When did you think that you would be ok.
FR. I think that the definite change came in Belgium. After the first month, I was very secure, with a good mental attitude. They convinced me that I could achieve my objective.
Q. Tell us more about what happened in Belgium.
FR. They were three difficult months, made more difficult by being separated from my family who remained in Madrid. This period can be divided into three parts: gymnasium work at first, then swimming in the cold water of the North Sea in the second, and on the pitch in the third. In the first week they gave me a therapy to remove the knee pain. I was taken into the operating room and under total anesthesia they put a tourniquet on my leg to keep the blood out for 30 minutes. They put medications into my leg. This treatment was done four or five times. Then it was completely functional, and I did isometric exercises with elastic bands, and on the trampoline which were designed to bring back the strength and flexibility to the tendon. Then after the gymnasium we went to work on sand. At the Knokke beach a few minutes from Brujas: running with obstacles, without obstacles, concentrated exercises. Then we worked on sand running in the cold water of the sea as counter resistance. It was difficult work but I could see that the knee was responding well. Then came the third part, working on the training pitch. I was always alone but in the presence of my best friend: a football.
Q. How was your official return in Ancona?
FR. Before playing, all I wanted was for the knee to respond well. But then I thought about what I needed to do better, to have more endurance. But this is normal after not playing for so long. My ambition is to get better and recover my best condition possible. I have been training for several weeks with some equipment with the club doctor, Daniele Tognaccini. It is some specific work designed to help me where I need help. Now I am seeing the results.
Q. What kind of special work?
FR. Specific gymnasium work to gain strength. The rest is all on the pitch working on agility, flexibility and speed.
Q. How did you watch the world cup?
FR. I was in Argentina, I saw the matches with my family in my apartment in Buenos Aires. It was the first time since 1990 that I was able to watch a world cup from Argentina. The expectations were great. I felt like one of the supporters, but unfortunately also felt the great sadness at Argentina's elimination.
Q. Did you think that Argentina needed you or someone like you?
FR. I don't like to talk about that. With the players we had we should have gotten to the final.
===
taken from http://www.xtratime.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?forumid=37
Diario-Ole (Argentina)
December 17, 2002
Translated by Humbird
Interview with Fernando Redondo
Q. All this time, you never thought about quitting football.
FR. Sincerely, no. In life, one thing you can never do is quit. Football is my great passion, and for many years also my profession. And besides I had something personal I could not leave undone. I had to bring out the best in myself and for that reason, I could not quit. Thanks to God I could overcome this and now I feel very good with myself and all the effort has more value to me.
I did have some bad moments spiritually. But the truth is that they were all overcome and I have no bad memories. From the first day I was injured, through the three operations, I only thought about returning some day to wear the red and black shirt of Milan. Clearly, there was a lot of effort and work involved in my recovery. I had to start from zero. It was terrible. My knee became an obsession for me, an anxiety within myself. There had to be a cure and I had to play again. Many times I thought this. Thanks to God, the effort was successful.
Q. When did you think that you would be ok.
FR. I think that the definite change came in Belgium. After the first month, I was very secure, with a good mental attitude. They convinced me that I could achieve my objective.
Q. Tell us more about what happened in Belgium.
FR. They were three difficult months, made more difficult by being separated from my family who remained in Madrid. This period can be divided into three parts: gymnasium work at first, then swimming in the cold water of the North Sea in the second, and on the pitch in the third. In the first week they gave me a therapy to remove the knee pain. I was taken into the operating room and under total anesthesia they put a tourniquet on my leg to keep the blood out for 30 minutes. They put medications into my leg. This treatment was done four or five times. Then it was completely functional, and I did isometric exercises with elastic bands, and on the trampoline which were designed to bring back the strength and flexibility to the tendon. Then after the gymnasium we went to work on sand. At the Knokke beach a few minutes from Brujas: running with obstacles, without obstacles, concentrated exercises. Then we worked on sand running in the cold water of the sea as counter resistance. It was difficult work but I could see that the knee was responding well. Then came the third part, working on the training pitch. I was always alone but in the presence of my best friend: a football.
Q. How was your official return in Ancona?
FR. Before playing, all I wanted was for the knee to respond well. But then I thought about what I needed to do better, to have more endurance. But this is normal after not playing for so long. My ambition is to get better and recover my best condition possible. I have been training for several weeks with some equipment with the club doctor, Daniele Tognaccini. It is some specific work designed to help me where I need help. Now I am seeing the results.
Q. What kind of special work?
FR. Specific gymnasium work to gain strength. The rest is all on the pitch working on agility, flexibility and speed.
Q. How did you watch the world cup?
FR. I was in Argentina, I saw the matches with my family in my apartment in Buenos Aires. It was the first time since 1990 that I was able to watch a world cup from Argentina. The expectations were great. I felt like one of the supporters, but unfortunately also felt the great sadness at Argentina's elimination.
Q. Did you think that Argentina needed you or someone like you?
FR. I don't like to talk about that. With the players we had we should have gotten to the final.
===
taken from http://www.xtratime.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?forumid=37
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