“I have believed in God since I was a child; I’m only afraid of death.” The headline of the interview with Marcelino García Toral in ‘El Mundo’ shows that the conversation goes beyond football. Sitting on the bench where he made his debut as a coach 25 years ago (in the Les Caleyes field, of Lealtad de Villaviciosa), Marcelino spoke about various topics; he simply and clearly showed the person hiding under the coach’s suit.
“A very normal guy, with a series of human values such as sincerity, respect and humility.” This is how the Asturian coach defines himself, convinced of the importance of honesty in the relationship with his players: “I can be uncomfortable for them, but I prefer being uncomfortable than telling the footballer everything he wants to hear because that can lead him to commit mistakes”.
During the interview, Marcelino reflects on the work in the training categories. “There is a belief that any child who stands out at the age of 12 is going to be a footballer. And no. On the contrary. It is a very small percentage that achieves it, because talent must be joined with a series of qualities that are not abundant in society”, he explains.
Family, friends, Asturias
Marcelino is clear about his vital priorities, what he needs to be happy: “Live well, but without great luxuries. Be healthy, of course. Having a united family and… little else. And having friends that I know I can go to the end of the world with”.
During the interview, Marcelino reflects on the work in the training categories. “There is a belief that any child who stands out at the age of 12 is going to be a footballer. And no. On the contrary. It is a very small percentage that achieves it, because talent must be joined with a series of qualities that are not abundant in society”, he explains.
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The coach is moved when he remembers the traffic accident he suffered the day before Christmas Eve 2017 (along with his wife and mother) and the death of his father, in 2014. The family and the Asturian roots have always been present ( “when I don’t work, this is where I live and where I’m going to live when I leave my profession”) as the backdrop to a successful career that still has several stretches to go, in the company of his inseparable coaching staff. “I think we deserve a very good project,” he warns with conviction.
