Genoa goalkeeper Josep Martinez says his intention when joining the club was to help them get promoted to Serie A, and ‘stay with Genoa for a long time.’ Martinez has been one of a number of players who have impressed with the Rossoblù this season, with Genoa looking set to continue their stay in Serie A after an impressive return to Italy’s top flight. Speaking with EuroFoot, the Spanish goalkeeper explained why he chose to make the switch from the Bundesliga to Serie B, the differences between between the different playing styles, as well as the goalkeeping icons who have influenced his career:
How is this season at Genoa going? Is it everything you expected or is it exceeding your expectations?
“I think this season with Genoa has started quite well. In the end we are a team that has just been promoted. I think at the beginning we needed a period to adapt, to see what our level was compared to the other teams, but I think we have adapted quite well. In the end, I think that so far, we have exceeded our expectations. We are in a position that is not yet definitive, but I think we are comfortable enough to achieve our first objective, which is to stay there. I think the team is growing a lot, it is having a lot of consistency in the games, playing very good games and at the end of the day that is what is important”.
Do you feel that signing permanently for Genoa was the right decision for your career?
“When I signed, it was clear to me that my goal was to get promoted with Genoa to Serie A. My idea was to get the team promoted and stay with Genoa for a long time”.
What has surprised you most about Genoa over the last two years?
“What has surprised me most about Genoa for me in the last two years, without a doubt, it has been the fans. I think we have incredible fans who go everywhere with us and I never get tired of thanking them because in the end the most important thing for a club really is its people”.
98 per cent of the Luigi Ferraris is occupied on match days. What’s it like playing with a packed stadium?
“Playing with them, with a packed stadium, I’ve always said it, I think they are like the 12th player for us. I think they are very important for us today, our supporters and I think we are quite strong at home, partly thanks to them”.
It’s your first season in Serie A. What’s different about the Bundesliga and Spanish football?
“I think that in terms of quality it’s more or less the same quality in the teams. But what I would differentiate it is really the rhythm of the games in Spain, because they put a lot of emphasis on possession and in Germany, I think the most important thing is to find the balance, because in the end the games often break down. It’s a bit like the English league, it’s a game with a very high tempo of back and forth, and I think that’s the difference, the rhythm of the games and the physicality a bit too”.
Between Italian, Spanish and German football, which one do you feel you fit into best?
“For me I think the Spanish. Could say the Spanish. In the end I have certain characteristics that are good, playing from the back and I think that in Spain most teams try to do that, but I can say that in Italy I have been surprised because I see more and more teams that try to build from the back and play good football and attacking football. A bit further back in time, Italy was characterised by defensive solidity and an important attacking play, but more and more teams in Italy are playing better and I think this is also seen in European competitions”.
You recently pushed the team to victory against Lecce by saving a penalty. Are you going through one of the best moments of your career?
“I think I’m on an improving path, as the team is doing as well. In the end the objective is to grow together and well, I’m in a good moment. But I think I have a lot of room for improvement and I work every day to keep growing as a goalkeeper and as a person”.
You’re also a Spanish international. What was it like playing for your country?
“For me it was one of the best times of my life. Those two years that I was with the U21s. In the end, representing your country is really what you start playing for at a very young age. In the end it’s been a dream since I started playing football and to fulfil it when I was 20 and 21 years old. That dream of playing for your country is for me the most beautiful thing that football has given me. It’s a tremendous source of pride”.
You grew at Barcelona. How was your time at La Masia? What did you learn? Was it fundamental to your development as a goalkeeper?
“Was really what changed my professional career. For me it was the biggest leap I made in my entire professional career, because I played for a team in a small town in Valencia and from there I went to Barcelona. It was two years of a lot of learning. I think it was the biggest change in my life. I really learned a lot of things in the end at La Masia. From finding your own life because you’re on your own and in terms of your performance as a goalkeeper, you really learn a lot because there are great coaches there, there’s a lot of quality and you have
to improve to be at the same level as your teammates and compete with them. I mean, for me it was fundamental, as I said before, in my development, as a goalkeeper, I think I had great teammates, great competitions and that makes you grow as well”.Which goalkeepers are you inspired by? Who is your idol or role model?
“When I was a kid I was always a Valencia fan. I liked Cañizares a lot when I was little. Then I’ve been looking at Casillas, then I also liked De Gea a lot and nowadays I could say Ter Stegen, Neuer are great goalkeepers. Courtois, as well. Idol or role model? Well, we could say to go through the Tedesca school a little bit with Neuer and Ter Stegen have been an inspiration. I think for the vast majority of goalkeepers of my generation really.”.
Who was the best player you played with?
“Well, I have played with some very good players, but I could tell you that the player I liked the most was Christopher Nkunku, who is now at Chelsea. For me the two years we were at Leipzig I think that player grew incredibly and the second year I was with him he scored a lot of goals. And the truth is that I have good memories there with them, because in the end it is a team of very young people who have great aspirations and you really see them every month, every training session”.
What ambitions do you have for the future?
“To keep growing as a goalkeeper and, well, my goal or my dream would really be to play in the Champions League and I think I’m really looking forward to it. And also to work very hard to try to get closer to the level of the goalkeepers who are in the national team and why not? Yes, if the opportunity arises, to be able to be in a position to be followed by the coaches of the national team. I
think that’s the goal of every professional player”.
