We were delighted to welcome Jagoba Arrasate as our guest for the fifth episode of the Endimoniats podcast.
The boss spoke about his decision to head to the island, adapting to RCD Mallorca and his philosophy.
“Well, we are adapting,” he said. “When you've been in a place for six years, it's hard to change and, above all, it's hard to start, to find a home. For us, the schooling of our three children is very important. When all this gets going, you focus more on your work and the truth is that the five of us are now delighted here.
“It's a joy here, not only in training, but also in the afternoons, in extracurricular activities, to be able to wear short sleeves. The truth is that it's a change for us... there in Navarre we used to wrap up warm and to do things and had to go with umbrellas.”
Family is a big thing for the boss and as he also shared an insight into his personal life.
“The family is the most important thing for me, it's what gives me stability to," he contonued. "For me, the fact that they are well is a guarantee for me to be able to work on my own. The five of us are a close-knit group, we move from one place to another. For me it's a joy to be able to take them to school, to be able to have dinner with them. Within our work, which takes up a lot of our time, being able to do things during the day with them is something that suits me very well."
Having previously been a teacher, Arrasate believes his previous professional experience has shaped his coaching outlook.
“I alternated my coaching qualification with teaching, I've been working for ten years as a sixth form tutor. Being a teacher has helped me a lot to become a coach. I never rule out becoming a teacher again. For me, teaching is like a way of life, it's something vocational and I've always liked it.”
Having spent six years as manager at CA Osasuna, reaching a Copa del Rey final and getting into Europe, the boss reflected fondly of his time up north.
“They were six wonderful years. I would never have imagined, on arriving at Osasuna, to be able to achieve all that I have achieved, above all, to be able to experience what I have experienced. To feel fulfilled, to feel the affection of the people... Anyone should experience this, because it's the best thing you can experience, that feeling of making people happy. I'm grateful, the family is delighted... it's perfect.”
As for life at RCD Mallorca, Arrasate is happy with the progress made but believes there is more to come.
“As a coach you always want more," he continued. "In general terms, I'm very happy, we're seeing a fairly recognisable team. Knowing that we were coming to a new place and it's a new project, I'm happy with the team, knowing that we still have room for improvement. I think we can give more continuity to the good moments, we can improve our efficiency as well. When you watch the videos you always find things to improve, that makes us be demanding and self-critical.
“The first game was special against Real Madrid. I really liked that game, the atmosphere in the stadium, and it was an important starting point. I also really liked the game against Rayo Vallecano, a complete game. A coach wants to generate a lot and not be generated. And I think in that game we generated a lot and they hardly generated at all. It was a 1-0 win against Rayo, which people may say more or less, but as a coach I say: that's what I want.
“The feeling of belonging is the most beautiful thing that a club has, having people from home who know what this is all about, who feel the colours and the crest. It is one of the things that has surprised me most about Mallorca. When you arrive here and you see that there are a lot of Mallorquinistas, it shows that in recent years things have been done very well. I think it's something we all have to take care of, because it's the greatest treasure a club can have.”
