Mbappé, Kroos... and why Real Madrid is the biggest club in History.
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00:00Real Madrid. La Liga. I understand a lot of football.
00:14Just relax now, man. I love that place.
00:19We've got to go again. I love that, man. I'm going to kill this all day. Let's go to European
00:28football and European football clubs. Obviously, you've got a big history there and Real Madrid.
00:34You have a great connection there. Some fantastic years. Firstly, what do you think of their
00:39season last year? Real Madrid?
00:42La Liga, Champions League. Real Madrid are looking very, very good. It's
00:45the kind of team that don't rush under pressure. This is why most of the people say, ah, they
00:53are lucky in the Champions League. No, they are not lucky. They have their brain. They
00:59prepare for these kinds of moments. Bernabeu, these stadiums, they have a different aura.
01:04You understand? The energy is different.
01:06The energy is different. And when the big teams go there, they score one goal, 85 minutes,
01:1190 minutes. The pressure is a lot. For me, it's the best club ever in the history of
01:17football. How would you say Madrid are going to be better? We don't know. Let's see. Mbappe
01:25go there now. I think Madrid will keep strong. But I don't know if they will be better than
01:32last year. I don't know. Let's see. Only God knows. But they have a fantastic team, fantastic
01:38players. I believe that they're going to be one of the best teams in the world.
01:46How do you continuously churn out, every season, mad numbers the way you were doing it? Like,
01:51you were scoring a ridiculous amount of goals every year in the pressure cooker of the Bernabeu.
01:56I win trophies. I win everything there. I'm the record of goals of the club. And for me,
02:05it was a pleasure to play in Real Madrid for eight seasons, eight, nine seasons. And to
02:11win four Champions Leagues there and Golden Boots and everything, I win that. So I love that place.
02:19I want to talk about when you went there. But obviously, you've got Kylian Mbappe going there
02:24now. And we'll get on to him. So it'd be similar for him. When you went there,
02:30what was the pressure like in the changing room? Because you had big... I remember we spoke years
02:34ago and it was like, you said, there's a big Spanish contingent there. It's going to be
02:37difficult for me to get in. And I was the most expensive player ever.
02:41Yeah. What's that like?
02:42It was pressure. But in the same way, I believe in myself. I say, listen,
02:47if I was the best player in the Premier League and I win the Golden Ball in Manchester United,
02:52Champions League, this is the league. But I knew that I will do it well. I knew it because,
02:59as I told you, I believe in my skills. I believe in my talent. It was difficult because it's a
03:05different country, the adaptation. I was 24. We are still young. But in the same way, I was very,
03:12very, very positive. The best club in the world. I say I'm going to make history in this club like
03:19I did in Manchester United. It was a challenge for me. But as you know, I'm a challenged person.
03:24I like to show the people that they are wrong. You understand? Even with the age right now that
03:31we're going to speak later about that. I like to prove the opposite what the people thinking. So
03:37it was a big challenge for me. And I was very, very, very happy to play in Real Madrid in that
03:41period. What are going to be the problems and what does Kylian Mbappe need to do going in there?
03:48I think you're going to do it well, to be honest, because the structure of the club, it's nice,
03:53it's good, it's solid. You understand? And they have a great coach and the president who are
04:00there many, many years. I think it's not going to be a big issue for him, not going to be a big problem
04:05because it's a challenge. He shows everything what he's capable to do it. And I think you're
04:10going to do it well, to be honest, because it's, in my opinion, it can be the next golden ball
04:16for the next years. Him, probably Haaland, Bellingham, Lamine. I think it's this new
04:26generation. They have a lot of potential, but I believe that you're going to do it very well.
04:31And I look at your team and I was like mesmerized by obviously yourself,
04:35the age that you're playing at the level and Pep. Like, talk to me about your partnership,
04:43your bromance a little bit and how you both or give me a bit of insight into how he's maintained
04:49the level he's played at as well. 40 years old. Yeah, it's crazy. Crazy. 40, 40. I could play
04:56extra time. One game, 40 minutes, four days after I play extra time again. People don't appreciate
05:03that. They always say, why you play? Why you play? Okay. But this is what I'm going to do.
05:10And against Georgia, I play 60 minutes, so I didn't play all the minutes. It's longevity.
05:15It's the mindset of when you reach some age, the difference is your mind. It's not the body anymore
05:22because the body has memory. You understand? If you treat good your body, 10 years, 15 years,
05:29they're going to respect you. If you treat good, after will be in your mind. Always will be your
05:34mind. If you want to play four or five years more, because in all the sports, the average age,
05:43it's between 30s and 40s. They finish. If you see, tennis, Formula One, the best guys,
05:51football. Consistent. It's that age that you start to lose your testosterone, whatever,
05:57your hormones and everything. It's normal. It's a process of life. But Pepe and me,
06:02we are a good example because we treat good the body during so many, many years.
06:07He's bosses on the pitch, though, isn't he? Yes, yes, yes. But outside the pitch,
06:10he's a very good guy. He's a very professional guy, too.
06:15How do you do it? You finish the season, you win everything, win the Golden Ball.
06:19What's your mindset when the season finishes in the summer, so don't go again?
06:24For me, it's only one word to define that. Enthusiasm. If you don't have enthusiasm in
06:29your life, this is why I was last night at dinner with my family, with my mom. We speak about some
06:37situations that happen in Euros. It's the enthusiasm that I still have for the game.
06:42I'm addicted for football. I'm addicted to score goals and to play in a good level,
06:47even with my age, because I love this. It's crazy, though, man.
06:52You know? It's crazy. I just sit there and just think,
06:54fucking just relax now, man. Talking about longevity and playing,
06:57someone's cut their career short, I think. I think he could continue playing. Tony Cruz.
07:02Tell me a little bit about him. You played with him, obviously, at Real Madrid. What was he like?
07:06Listen, it's the way he sees the football, the way he sees life. We don't know
07:10behind the football what's going on in his life. We have to respect him, you know?
07:16Because the people see now more people, the longevity. But we are not all the same,
07:22you understand? I respect his decisions because it's the kind of a guy who says,
07:27I will do that, and he does it. You understand? I respect. But if you ask me, he can play a few
07:32years more. Yes, but maybe he has other issues that he doesn't want to. It's full of football,
07:38and you have to respect that.
08:32So
09:02you