Aranjuez and Abha (Saudi Arabia) look little alike, possibly nothing, but they are two points that unite the football-vital journey of Dani Suarez (31 years). He is central, a former Madrid veteran as a member of that Castilla de Zidane and brother, by the way, of Carlos Súarez, basketball player and captain of Unicaja. Also one of those players who had to reinvent himself and find his life far away. In the Second Poland, later Greece and now Saudi Arabia. From there he attends AS a few hours after the return of the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi soil, two years after the premiere of this format in Jeddah and now moving to the capital, Riyadh.
Dani’s story is that of a player who exploded late (“I became a professional when I was 19, when I arrived at Real Madrid C, I came from playing in a town with my friends”) and who was also harassed by a serious injury to knee and disease. “I was at Ponferradina in the Second Division and I spent two years standing up, my contract ran out and I had to find my lifeThe opportunity came from an unexpected corner, Poland, and in Saudi Arabia he has played almost everything since he landed last August. Suárez is one of four Spanish footballers in the country along with fellow former Madrid player Álvaro Medrán (Al Taawoun), Iago Herrerín (Al Raed) and Alberto Botía (Al Wehda) The petrodollars thing is not a cliché. “It has turned out very well for me financially“explains Dani.”The league is taking on a strong dimension because thanks to the money it is attracting people like Banega, Vietto … We see signings of 10, 15 million euros and even Real Madrid players, of those who do not play, are ringing to come here … “.
Incentives to bridge the obvious differences with the European way of life. “Culturally it is a very different experience, the Arabs are very friendly but I live in Abha, which is almost a large town … The issue of women is evident. It is seen that in Riyadh and Jeddah they are evolving, but not so much here. cost. It also shocks me to see children driving a car … It happened to me the first day I arrived, a child, who would not be more than 12 years old, passed me and on top of it blew his horn“.
For Dani, Madrid is still something special. Mourinho made him train close to the elders a couple of times a week and he lived with homegrown players such as Nacho, Carvajal and Mariano. Days in Valdebebas in which he had a Benzema masterclass. “I laughed when I saw people who criticized him, with that quality. You have to value what we have in Madrid, Karim is a basic pillar“. A Real Madrid that he follows despite 6,000 kilometers away and that he will see closely today, because he is making the necessary arrangements to go to the Classic.” If I can, like many here, I will not miss it … “.