Ruben Bover (06-24-1992, Palma de Mallorca) is the captain of the Andorra. He arrived at the tricolor entity in 2018, when the team was a member of the Catalan Primera, and was the first signing of the ‘era Piqué‘. He now enjoys professional soccer on a team that he considers his “family”. Analyze for AS his past, coincided with stars like Henry, Raúl and Senna during his tour in the United States, his present in Andorra and the future. He has a contract until 2024 and wants to extend it.
they have only won a game out of the last seven in the league. Have you detected the problem?
I think it’s the typical bump because we’ve been playing very good football and dominating as always. What happens is for one thing or another, the results and the goals are not coming. There have been some mistakes that have penalized us a lot, but the team is fine, alive, and is going to get ahead.
Nerves?
We are calm, we know what we are very good at and we have spoken in the locker room that this is a bad period from which we are going to come out. We trust what we do. This Friday we play against Las Palmas and it is a very important duel to be able to turn the situation around. The leader comes and is an extra incentive. We are really looking forward to the game, we are very positive.
What has Eder Sarabia told you?
He tells us things to our faces and also reinforces the good that is done. Self-criticism. Obviously we players have responsibility for many things and we have to improve because the level has dropped. For example, the match against Racing was good, but the mistakes penalized us too much.
Have you thought about changing the style of play?
No, it is what has brought us here and we have shown that it works.
Do you think there is a lack of perspective in the environment? They are recently promoted, it is their first time in professional football…
We have discussed it in the locker room. Many teams would like to be in our situation, have our 35 points, and if they tell us at the beginning of the season that we are going to have a six-point margin over relegation at this point in the season, we would all have signed it. Our objective is salvation and settle Andorra in Second Division, build a base.
They made it to the playoffs…
Yes, that’s why I told him that we know how to do things well and we will win games again. This streak is dirtying what was shown during the campaign a bit, but in general terms you have to give a lot of value to what this group is doing. We have to fix the little bugs we have and we’re going to save ourselves, for sure.
You arrived in 2018, with the team in the Catalan Primera. It was the first signing of the ‘Piqué era’. What made you bet on Andorra?
It was a personal bet that I made because I came from England and also a personal favor to my agent, who is a friend of Gerard Piqué. It may be shocking to go down to the Catalan Primera to play, but I don’t regret anything. At any time, if things didn’t go well, I could leave, but from the beginning I felt at home and things have turned out perfectly. In a very short time we have gone up to professional football, so imagine, it was a one hundred percent winning bet.
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Therefore, Gerard Hammered influenced a lot in his signing…
Yes of course. Piqué was important. He proposed to me to come and at first I thought that ‘if it goes wrong it will be difficult to return to the elite’, but it has gone perfectly. This is my second home, I have enjoyed what this club has achieved in recent years and I want more. I’m enjoying football again, having enthusiasm, something I lost a bit when I was in England. I am very happy.
What do you think has been the biggest change the club has undergone?
It looks like another (joke). Many things have changed. In Primera Catalana we didn’t know where to train or the schedule, we didn’t have goals and hardly any clothes… some days we didn’t all go to train dressed the same. The club has grown a lot, now we have a lot of facilities. It’s amazing to have experienced this transformation. I’m enjoying it a lot.
You played in the United States and coincided with players like Henry, Raúl and Senna. How was that experience?
I was in England, at Charlton, and the opportunity came up to go to the United States, to Red Bull with Henry. I went for a week on trial and I was delighted. It was like a dream to play with Henry and, in addition, I fell on the right foot because I started. Then I got injured, but I felt important. There were incredible players and it’s something you take with you forever because you learn a lot, both personally and in football.
He shared a dressing room with Raúl at the Cosmos. How was the? Did you already see coaching ways?
I still have contact with him because he treated me great from day one. He is demanding and mentally he is on another level, I learned a lot from him. And regarding being a coach, he already commented on it at that time. He is a person who transmits a lot and is capable of understanding the player. Besides, he has won a lot. He is already showing that he is a great coach and the future will bring him great things.
How about training the Real Madrid first team?
Sure, it’s a crack. When he has a goal, he fights to achieve it and if he sets his mind to it, he will achieve it. He deserves the opportunity and will manage the first team if that’s what he wants. He would do great.
Finally, and since Raúl’s future has been discussed, let’s talk about his. He has a contract until 2024 at Andorra. Would you like to expand it?
I haven’t spoken to the club yet, but I’m immensely happy here. This is my second home, I have family nearby… I can’t ask for more. What I want is to help the club and the team in everything I can always. If they tell me to renew, without a doubt.
