Dani Carvajal, Real Madrid's right-back who is currently preparing for World Cup qualifiers with the Spanish national team, gave an exclusive interview to Camel Live, sharing his feelings after returning from injury and his views on various topics.
On the feeling of returning to the national team
“I received a very warm welcome. I have always been eager to come back here. This recovery period was long and difficult for me, but now I am finally back, and my heart is full of excitement—just like when I was called up to the national team for the first time, full of expectations.”
On his views on World Cup qualifiers
“Starting from our conversation this morning, Coach De la Fuente has already made the direction clear to us. We have six crucial games to play, and our goal is to qualify successfully. Once we achieve that, the next stop will be the World Cup. This is a year full of important challenges, and we have the opportunity to make history.”
The evolution of the national team's tactical style
“In the past, we sometimes lacked in-depth attacks. Now, under the leadership of the coach, plus a group of younger and more experienced players, our style of play has become more proactive and exciting.”
Is Spain a favorite to win the World Cup?
“This is recognition we have worked hard to earn. From beating Croatia to win the Nations League, to our performance in the European Championship, and then to the recent Nations League final... With the efforts and performances of the entire team, we have proven that we are strong contenders for the championship.”
Dressing room atmosphere and player selection
“We are almost like a family. Since the European Championship, the team's cohesion has been very strong, and the atmosphere is particularly good. Everyone puts their personal talents and ego behind the team. The coach knows many players well, and he always has sufficient reasons for his selections. Although there is a stable core, he has not closed the door on anyone. Form is always the key factor.”
How to view Yamal's development?
“I haven't had much contact with him this year, but since I came back here, he is still the same as before—no different from last year. We must understand that the environment he is in is very complicated. He is only 18 years old, yet he is already a core player at Barcelona and has signed an important contract. He needs good advice and to stay grounded.”
“He will make mistakes like everyone else, but as long as he performs well on the pitch, he has the chance to create an era. He might even become a candidate for the Ballon d'Or—especially since he is so young. When I was 18, I was still playing for Castilla.”
Looking back on the anterior cruciate ligament injury and recovery process
“This was the most serious injury of my career, and the recovery period was very long. I barely played for a while during the FIFA Club World Cup, and that was because the match situation was special... But the entire rehabilitation process lasted nearly 10 months. The hardest part was the period after the surgery. I had to endure severe pain, and it was even a problem to sit down and eat for five minutes.”
On communicating with Rodri, who also suffered a serious injury last season
“We talked a lot during the recovery period. I am sincerely happy for him. Rodri feels deeply about these things, and I think that period was even more difficult for him, especially since he doesn't have children yet. We never talked about Real Madrid-related matters. Does he want to stay at Manchester City? I can understand that, because the club supported him during his most difficult time.”
“It's like my relationship with Real Madrid—I renewed my contract the next day. I have always been grateful to the club and always want to repay this trust with my performances.”
“If Rodri can join Real Madrid, it will definitely be a great signing, no doubt about it. He is from Madrid and has lived there for a long time. Maybe a change of environment wouldn't be a bad thing for him (laughs). A player like him will succeed at any team.”
The improvement Xabi Alonso has brought to the team
“In fact, this aspect is very realistic: winning is good, losing is bad. Now we are stricter in time management, such as in-depth match analysis through videos. We can't just rely on results, but results do affect the development of players. Pressure? He requires us to implement more active pressing in the attacking third, and our formation is also more compact. We are indeed executing high pressing more consistently.”
Has the lack of pre-season preparations had an impact?
“There is a conflict of interest here. Everyone is fighting for themselves, but it's hard to balance. In a few years, the problem of lacking real rest will gradually emerge. Changes in pre-season preparations? Now you may only rest for a week, because the club will arrange tasks again soon. You can stay away from football temporarily, but your body can't fully relax. However, this also has benefits—if you don't want to suffer later, you have to maintain your form at all times.”
Competing with Arnold
“He is a good guy and has integrated well. The competition between us is very fierce, and both of us will do our best to fight for the starting spot. This is a good thing for me. The stages when I was in the best form of my career usually came when I was facing strong competition. I also view this matter this way this year.”
“We have different styles, and this is actually a good thing for the coach. For the club and the coach, this is a 'happy problem'. A similar situation happened between me and Danilo—Benítez initially used him as the starter, but I finally won the position. I try to treat the competition with the most natural attitude and a sense of enjoyment. At the end of the season, we will see who has more playing time.”
Evaluation of Mbappé
“My view hasn't changed: he is extremely outstanding. Although he didn't win important championships with the club last season, he still scored 44 goals. Don't forget that this is not easy. And his form this season is even more amazing.”
On Vinícius being the focus of external discussions
"I don't think being the focus consistently is good for him, but it's really hard to deal with these things. For example, the beach soccer incident before, all kinds of insults, and so on. I can understand that this is very difficult. I have never experienced that kind of pressure myself. We often communicate with him, telling him to stay calm and focus on the game itself—as long as he does that, he is unstoppable."
