Borja Valero: “Staying at home makes the difference, we're united and giving each other strength”

MILAN – Borja Valerowas the fourth Nerazzurri player to respond to the many questions sent in by Inter fans on the Club’s social media channels. Before talking about Inter, the Spanish midfielder spoke about the difficult period which Italy and the whole world are going through:

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“I’m feeling good and trying to pass the time as best I can during this difficult period. Luckily, my wife and two children are here with me at home. I help my children with their homework and am also training. We’ve been inventing games to play and things to do every day: I’ve come up with a football-tennis game in my bed. The most important thing at this time is to show strength and courage and, above all, make people understand that staying at home is of the utmost importance. This makes the difference and is the only way we’ll be able to return to our normal lives as soon as possible.”

The Spanish midfielder is dividing his time between family and the things he has a passion for, like reading: “I really like reading, I’m reading a book series written by Jo Nesbo, ‘The Redbreast’. It’s a series of six/seven books and I’m on the third one.”

There were many questions sent in by the Nerazzurri fans, who were eager to find out more about the current Inter side, why he chose the number 20 and Antonio Conte: “I could define Conte in one word: intense. He throws himself fully into everything he does, even the most common tasks. He is deeply passionate and has a winning character: he wants to win at all costs and works to do so. I’m stubborn, I thought I’d be able to help this team even when I was playing fewer matches. I trained at 100% every day to ensure that I was ready when called upon, and I’m happy that I demonstrated that I was able to make a contribution when this moment arrived. I selected the number 20 because it was one of the few numbers remaining when I arrived at Villarreal. I liked it and have stuck with it ever since.”

Sport is a crucial part of Borja Valero’s life: “It’s important to understand what sport can give us. Having a competitive mentality and applying this in all contexts of life can really help. I like playing tennis when I can. For Spaniards, Rafa Nadal is an example to follow, both as a player and as a person. He’s incredible. I follow the NBA and NFL, while walking in the mountains with my family and dog has been one of my passions for a few years now. It’s a good way to get away from life in the city and experience unique moments together.”

The important moments of Borja Valero’s football life are split between childhood memories, inspirational idols and unforgettable matches, such as his first #DerbyMilano: “I’ve been in love with football since I was a child, I admired Guti (José Maria Gutiérrez) who, like me, came up through the youth academy at Real Madrid and managed to make it to the first team and succeed. For me, he was a really impressive player. The most exciting match I remember is my first #DerbyMilano. I used to follow it on TV, but you don’t realise its significance until you play in it wearing the Nerazzurri colours. We won 3-2 and it was a great feeling to be able to contribute to that win, it was a truly magical moment.”

For the No.20, being united on the pitch, with the fans and during tough times is crucial: “Inter fans always support us, they always get behind us and we can only thank them because that support translates into more points at the end of the season. I’ve always said that you learn more about people in difficult moments. Here people are getting together and supporting each other, I can see it from my house too: at nine o’clock people go out onto the balconies and everyone reassures each other and gives each other hope while waiting for normality to return.”

Finally, he commented on his teammates, from Esposito to Brozovic: “Esposito is a great player who is growing a lot, he can do so thanks to the experience of the other players we have in this team. I think Brozovic is an incredible player and he’s hit great heights with his performances this season.”