Ruben Pardo is one of those impressive footballers and people who have come through the Real Sociedad academy in recent years, contributing to the club's recent success. However, for several seasons now, he has sought opportunities elsewhere, eventually arriving at Krasava in Cyprus.
Although he was expecting offers from Spain, a call from Dmitro Chihrinski, now his coach and a former Pep Guardiola protege at Barca, convinced him to pack his bags again after a good spell at Aris Thessaloniki in Greece.
Speaking to us from his hotel room - he’ll have a house there soon - the midfielder from Logrono is highly motivated by the challenge ahead and sees it as an opportunity to prove he hasn’t lost his touch during the year he spent out of action.
From his time as a txuri-urdin to his brief spell at Bordeaux, including his stint at Leganes and the sensational World Cup performance of his friend Mikel Oyarzabal... this is how our conversation with Ruben Pardo went.
New beginnings
How have your first days in Cyprus been? I hear you’re still moving from hotel to hotel, without a house yet?
"Well, you know how it is when you start a new adventure, the first days are all about adapting, looking for an apartment or house, getting to know the city a bit, and that’s what I’m doing now: hotel to hotel, and hopefully in the next few days I’ll finally get my new place."
You’ve signed for Krasava. How did this opportunity come about?
"Well, I was in La Rioja training... I’d gone a year without playing, hoping to find a project where I could feel involved and enjoy football again. Krasava called me, Chihrinski called me - he’s our coach.
"He presented the project to me and said he’d be thrilled if I joined. Honestly, everything fit, so I packed my bags, didn’t think twice, and came here."
Chihrinski played for Barcelona... Did you speak in Spanish?
"When he called me, it’s true that I understand a lot of English, but I struggle a bit to speak it. But he told me, ‘Don’t worry Ruben, I’ll try with my Spanish.’ Honestly, it was a very smooth conversation.
"He speaks really well - of course, he misses a word here and there, but we understood each other, he explained everything he wanted and what the team is like... It was all very, very good and he convinced me."
Have you been able to train with the team yet?
"Yes, I’ve been here almost two weeks now and I’m really happy with what I see. It’s a very young team, only about five years old. Last year, they stayed in the top division for the first time and they’re eager to do things right, to keep growing bit by bit, and that’s what I see.
"There are experienced players who will try to share what we’ve learned and our experiences throughout our careers, and together we’ll try to help the club grow."
Guardiola’s influence on Chihrinski
What impression has Chihrinski made on you in these first weeks? How do you see him as a coach?
"Honestly, a good impression. Like I said, he explains things clearly. I think he’s a very approachable coach, you can talk to him. He’s teaching us his main ideas about what he wants from the team. Even though I’ve only been here a few days, I have a really good feeling."
He was a ball-playing centre-back, known for his touch, and was one of Guardiola’s most talked-about signings. Do you notice Pep’s influence in his style?
"Yes, when I spoke to him, he explained that he wanted to be involved with the ball from the very start. And as I said, in the 10-15 training sessions I’ve had with him, we’re doing drills, matches... We play out from the back, always wanting the ball.
"And, as you said, he’s a player who grew up with that style, who loves having the ball from the first moment, and in the end, I also want to teach my teammates that, what I know and what I’m good at."
Sudden change of scenery
You spent most of your career in Spain and then suddenly decided to go to Greece. How did that idea come about?
"Well, after finishing my three years at Leganes, we had several offers from Spain that summer... Then, three years ago, the offer from Aris Thessaloniki came in, and together with my wife and family, I thought it was a good time to take that step, start a new adventure in a country that’s very similar to Spain in terms of lifestyle.
"I think it was a very enriching experience for both me and my family, and I think we made the right choice."
You say Greece is similar to Spain. How was your first impression of Cyprus?
"I’d say it’s a country very similar to Greece in terms of lifestyle. It’s true I’ve only been here a few days, and yesterday I got the car and you can’t imagine what a mess it is to drive on the other side of the road, my goodness (laughs).
"But like everything, it takes some getting used to, but I think both my family and I can be very comfortable here."
An absent Cup champion
Let’s go back to your time at Real Sociedad... 2020, a strange year when you won the Copa del Rey without being in the squad. How do you remember it?
"I remember perfectly that I was with the team up to the quarter-finals, but then, at Christmas, the chance came up to go to Girondins de Bordeaux. It was my last year at Real Sociedad, and after an agreement between the club and me, we decided to end my time there and I went to Bordeaux.
"I was there at Girondins de Bordeaux, then the pandemic hit, everything happened: the French league was suspended, the only one that didn’t resume... The coach told me to look for another club, so to speak.
"Then Leganes came up, and while I was at Leganes, the Copa del Rey semi-final and final were played, and I experienced it all from there. I remember, I think it was in Albacete where I watched the final and celebrated as if I was on the pitch."
Did they give you a winner’s medal or send you anything from Real?
"No, they didn’t send me anything. Just a lot of teammates and people from the club told me that it was my achievement too, and it’s true that it’s a bit of a strange situation because, well, I did play the first two matches of the competition.
"But as I said, I belonged to another club by then, so it was a weird situation. Still, I feel like I was part of it because I played with Real Sociedad in that edition, honestly."
You even captained the team in one match...
"Yes, I was captain in the first match in Becerril, that’s true."
Girondins de Bordeaux drama
Girondins de Bordeaux called you, and now they’re in a terrible financial and institutional situation. They almost disappeared... Was it already obvious back then what might happen?
"Yes, you could sense it. When I arrived, nothing was being said, but as the days went by, you could see strange things happening in the club - issues with travel, with the training centre, fans protesting against the directors at the time... I didn’t really understand, but I saw a lot of odd things, and little by little it became clear the club was drifting, and now they’re in the third or fourth division - I’m not even sure what that’s equivalent to in Spain."
Do you think it was better to have the chance to leave for Leganes than to have stayed in Bordeaux?
"Yes, because when Leganes called me, I was really excited. They’d just been relegated, but they’d spent four or five years in the top flight, and they’d been interested in me for years.
"And as I said, Bordeaux was a top club, but you could see that in one, two, three years - who knows how many - something strange was going to happen, and in the end, two years after I left, the team dropped to the fourth division."
Oyarzabal like a 'brother'
Back to Real... What makes it different from other clubs? What were your years there like?
"I’ve said it many times: it’s a club that knows how to treat its players. I spent 10 seasons in the first team, but that’s not all. I went to San Sebastian when I was 11, and from the moment I set foot in Zubieta, they treated me like a son.
"It was a tough time for me, leaving home at 11. They looked after all the players in the residence every day. On weekends, they made sure we were entertained, and that’s what sets them apart from other clubs - the way they treat their academy.
"That’s why so many homegrown players make it to the first team, because it’s a special club that really knows how to look after its players."
You played alongside Oyarzabal, World Cup winner and Spain’s top scorer at the World Cup. What was or is your relationship with Mikel?
"With Mikel, he’s a friend, a brother, like family... I talk to him almost every day, and I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to see him so happy, winning and everything.
"He’s in a fantastic place in his life, both professionally and personally, and as I said, my relationship with him is amazing because, well, ever since he joined the first team, I looked out for him, helped him a lot too.
"His family welcomed me like a son during my tough times, he’s come to my hometown many times with his wife and son... So, as I said, he’s like a brother, a friend, everything to me."
Mikel manages something very difficult - everyone seems to like him. Footballers usually get criticism from somewhere, but everyone likes Mikel... How is that?
"Because he’s a very calm guy, very close to his people, and he manages everything around him really well. He’s a young guy who’s been at the top for many years, always doing things right.
"You can see he’s got his head screwed on, and everything around his family is great, they support him at all times, and in the end, it’s no coincidence that he’s captain of Real Sociedad, captain of the national team, and a role model for so many people."
Real has had a core group of homegrown players at the World Cup... What does it mean for the club to be so important at such a key moment for Spanish football?
"It’s a club that works really well from the academy to the first team. It’s no coincidence that so many players who have been at Real or are still there are playing for the national team, because both in LaLiga and in European competitions they’re doing a great job.
"In the end, when you perform well, your reward is likely to be a call-up to the national team, and that’s why Real is producing so many players for Spain."
A demanding challenge
About you. At Krasava, the goal is to fight for a place in Europe, at least in the qualifiers. Do you see a team ready for that in these first days?
"It’s a very young team, only a few years old, and last year they managed to stay up. From what I understand, they’re playing good football, and this year, with the signings they’re making and the players they want to bring in, I think it could be a really good year.
"I don’t know if it’ll be enough to qualify for Europe or other competitions, but I think the club needs to keep growing step by step. They’re eager to do things right, which is very important, and I think yes, it could be an exciting year and we’ll take it one step at a time."
How do you feel personally after a year without playing?
"It’s been a tough time, with some difficult moments. You know, when you’re not doing your job, you go through a lot after so many years training and playing, and then suddenly you have a year off. I did have some offers, but none of them really appealed to me, and there were moments when I thought about quitting, about moving on to something else.
"But I kept training, thanks especially to the coaches I’ve had, who really pushed me to stay motivated every day. And, well, this summer I got this offer, which I think is a really good one. It’s what I was looking for - a place that excites me. I’m really looking forward to this year, I’ve signed for a year, and I hope to play as many minutes as possible, and then we’ll see what the future holds."
What options did you have?
"Well, I was hoping for an opportunity like this, in a country where they really believe in me, where the coach knows me. I was waiting, it’s true, in Spain to see if any team would call. It’s tough after a year out, but I was still hoping to keep playing.
"If a Spanish team had called, I would have considered a lot of things, but I was at home in La Rioja and teams like Logrones or even some in the Second Division, Primera RFEF, I didn’t even get a call to talk to them.
"So, this opportunity came up here in the Cypriot first division. They made things very clear - they wanted me to come, and honestly, I’m happy to be here and to have an exciting year ahead."
Happy to discover the world
And when you’re not thinking about football or training, what do you like to do?
"Especially now that I’m in a new and beautiful city like Limassol, I want to discover things, see the important places in this country, not just Limassol.
"I’ve heard great things about Nicosia, Paphos, Larnaca, and I want to explore the country and its cultures during this year I’ll be here. Once my family joins me, we’ll see all of this together."
What can you say to your new fans about what they can expect from Ruben Pardo?
"Just that they support us, help us in good times and bad, and that they can expect me to give everything I have to leave the club as high up the table as possible and to give my all."
That’s all, Ruben. Thank you very much!
"Thank you very much, it’s been a pleasure. See you soon."