'Football is best played under pressure'

Barcelona to Bengaluru

Carles Cuadrat, the assistant coach of the Bengaluru Football Club, grew up in a small town in Barcelona.

Most of his childhood summers were spent playing football on the streets with boys from the neighbourhood. These were his first steps into the world of football.

 He later went on to play for some of the best teams across the world until an injury tied him down which  was the worst moment for him. He couldn’t play active football after that but began coaching.

 He has been working with his long-time friend and associate Albert Roca for a while. This is the first time that Carles is visiting Bengaluru. He wishes to take time off to travel around the country and understand what makes it so fascinating.  In an interview with Nina C George, Carles shares his thoughts about football, his stint in modelling and his future plans.

Your association with Albert, the head coach...

Albert and I have worked together in Barcelona. We have a lot of things in common. We share the same philosophy, think on the same wavelength and sometimes, even look at a game from the same angle.

Did your injury dampen your spirits?

Yes, it did pull me down for a while. I was extremely upset and frustrated when I discovered that I wouldn’t be able to play active football anymore. I underwent extensive treatment and just when I thought I was ready to get back to playing active football, an infection struck again. But looking back, I began coaching and that has opened up a host of new opportunities and experiences.

How do you look at football?

At the outset, football may seem like a glamorous game with eleven guys battling it out on the court but every single person in a team plays under tremendous pressure and it isn’t easy at all. I would say good football is best played under pressure.     
 
About your stint in modelling...

I never thought about modelling until I was chosen to do a television commercial involving football. I was required to look good and do a couple of tricks with the ball. It was after this that I began getting a lot of offers for modelling. I did a couple of assignments and then I was back to playing football again.

What is the most important lesson life has taught you?

To be patient and kind to people.

Do you watch Bollywood movies?

Yes, I have watched a couple of them and I find Priyanka Chopra to be very hot and an extremely talented actor. I also hear that she’s still single (smiles). Actor Puru Raajkumar also happens to be a good friend. He and I spent a lot of time together when I was in Mumbai.

Any interesting experiences in India...

I’ve attended a couple of Indian weddings and I find them thoroughly engaging and fascinating. The preparations for an Indian wedding run into a couple of days and apart from some delicious food, I also enjoy being a part of the music and dance. The excitement and energy at these weddings is truly infectious.

Your thoughts on Bengaluru.

I hear a lot of people complaining about the traffic in Bengaluru but I find the
traffic here to be more organised than that in Delhi and Mumbai.

I haven’t had the chance to move around and explore the city but I hope to do that sometime soon.