How do you explain Villarreal’s inconsistency? Less than 12 months ago, the modest Spanish club tore up Europe, advancing all the way to the UEFA Champions League semifinals before a last-minute loss to Arsenal.
Much of that shocking run can be attributed to the extraordinary effort by Diego Forlán, a former cult hero at Manchester United whose record-breaking 25 goals for Villarreal in 2004-05 won him the European Golden Boot and again attracted interest from several of Europe’s biggest clubs. Villarreal resisted the big-money temptation, and set its sights on winning a major title.
But things haven’t gone exactly to plan. Forlán has struggled, while Villarreal has flirted with relegation this season. The Uruguayan star has had a late-season renaissance recently, however, helping the Yellow Submarine go undefeated in its past four matches.
A good ending to the season could send Villarreal into UEFA Cup play next season, but a lot of that will depend on Forlán, who has become an irreplaceable figure at El Madrigal.
I recently caught up with him and we talked about Villarreal’s sudden revival, the highs and lows of his career and the expectations leading up to Uruguay’s Copa América campaign.
SI.com: How has Villarreal managed to improve so much in the last few weeks?
Forlán: It’s difficult to say because we didn’t know why we were playing badly. But the good thing is that we count on a squad with plenty of quality and we knew that sooner or later things would turn out for us, now we must maintain our level.
SI.com: You scored two outstanding goals from outside the box in successive weeks. Have you been practicing from out there?
Forlán: I always liked shooting from outside the area. The thing is that when I played closer, I rarely had the opportunity to shoot, but now I move down the field a bit more to receive the ball and that gives me more opportunities to shoot.
SI.com: Juan Román Riquelme recently returned to Boca Juniors on loan. Do you miss his assists?
Forlán: Who doesn’t miss him? He’s a great player, and a player like him will always be missed — even more so for a forward.
SI.com: Villarreal made some good signings this season. Why hasn’t the club been able to play to its full capacity?
Forlán: Some players got injured, and that affected us a lot. We hope that now that they’re better, the club will return to playing the same way it had been before.
SI.com: Many say the success of Villarreal is up to you.
Forlán: It depends on everyone. We are a team and if we all play well, it will be easier to win and to score goals.
SI.com: How good is your new signing, much-hyped 20-year-old Chilean midfielder Matías Fernández?
Forlán: I think he’s a great player. He’s very young and shouldn’t be rushed. In Chile, there’s lots of expectation for his performance and development. Hopefully they work with him with patience because he only recently arrived at a very competitive league, that isn’t the same as playing in South America. But the most important thing is that he’s a great player.
SI.com: Do you think Villarreal has what it takes to qualify for next season’s UEFA Cup?
Forlán: It won’t be easy. A few weeks ago, we were thinking about trying to avoid relegation, but after some good results we are calmer. We must continue to play well and keep winning and then we can see in which position we are.
SI.com: What has been your most important achievement as a player?
Forlán: I’ve won titles with Manchester United [English Premier League and FA Cup], and at a personal level, having been the European Golden Boot winner.
SI.com: Which players did you look up to when you were growing up?
Forlán: The players that I liked most were Romário and Marco van Basten.
SI.com: When did you know you wanted to be a soccer player?
Forlán: When I was small I always liked playing sports, especially tennis. I played lots of tennis, and it came to a point that I was almost going to stick with tennis. But at the end I decided to go with soccer and here I am. I think I made my decision when I was 15 years old.
SI.com: In the ’04-05 season you were the top scorer of the Spanish league with 25 goals, and joint highest scorer in Europe along with Arsenal’s Thierry Henry. Will you be able to repeat that?
Forlán: It won’t be easy, and it wasn’t easy to accomplish. Keep in mind that I play at a small club, and things are harder. I don’t think about achieving it again, but I enjoy playing and the good thing is that I already achieved it, and no one can take it away from me. It will stay registered in the history of soccer, and I am very proud of that.
SI.com: What are the main differences between soccer in Spain and England?
Forlán: In England they go faster from one goal to the other, but I always say it depends a lot on the manager that you have and the idea and the system he wants to employ.
SI.com: Why did you have difficulty adapting to English soccer?
Forlán: I always felt good — what happened is that as soon as I arrived, I wasn’t a starter and didn’t come on very often. That makes your adaptation and confidence much harder than if you initially start off playing regularly.
SI.com: Many Uruguayans are doing well in Europe. But why is it so difficult for the national team to win something?
Forlán: That’s a difficult question to answer. We all ask ourselves that. Hopefully we can change this situation. Luckily the organization of things is much better, so we can hope for a good Copa América.
SI.com: Are you motivated by the opportunity to take part in the Copa América and in 2010 World Cup qualifying?
Forlán: I’m always motivated by playing for the national team and even more so in tournaments of this magnitude. As a child you always dream about playing in these types of tournaments and putting on the shirt of your country.
SI.com: Many clubs are fighting over you, including Barcelona, and some English clubs, too. Do you see yourself at Villarreal next season?
Forlán: For now I’ve got a contract with Villarreal until 2010. All the rest are rumors.
Gregory Sica
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