Morata: I Realized I Hadn't Enjoyed Football for a Long Time After Playing in the Segunda Division, Now I Am Very Happy

Morata accepted an interview with Cadena SER, discussing his decision to join Leganes, the Spain national team, and the topic of missing out on the World Cup. This is the first part of the interview.

How do you feel after joining Leganes?

Very happy. Ultimately, I think this is a great project, and the club and the owner have shown great determination in investing in it. The whole project looks very promising. Since I signed, many players have become interested in the club and have asked me about it. I also did not expect this transfer to attract so much media attention. I really like the way this club is currently doing things, and I like the staff here as well as the atmosphere in the stadium.

Did you join Leganes simply because you wanted to play in Madrid?

Of course not. This was a decision I made based on a very exciting project. I like this project and believe they will do things very well. The organization of every aspect of the club surprised me, and I am surrounded by excellent professionals.

How did this transfer initially happen?

At the time, I had several options, including the United States, Mexico, and some other countries. Then one day, I remember Juanma, my agent, told me that he had spoken with Leganes.

I always listen to others finish what they want to say, out of respect. Also, Leganes are a very good club, so they needed to present me with a good enough project. Later I spoke with president Andres. Our first call lasted around 45 minutes, and we even felt the time passed very quickly. I think they probably did not expect me to agree so quickly.

Did you agree directly during that call?

Yes, during that call I told them I was willing to come. I believe I can help them both on the pitch and in the dressing room. In our profession, people usually judge you by what they can see on the pitch, but there is much more than that.

For example, at Como, I felt my importance was much greater than what people outside said. A team needs someone who cares about what happens in the dressing room, someone who is not only thinking about himself. I always think about how to make my teammates better, and I think that is a good thing.

Is your goal at Leganes to earn promotion to La Liga?

The goal is simply to win one match at a time. You can win two games and move up; you can lose two games and drop immediately.

We are all full of expectations, and everyone really likes the head coach. He knows exactly when to give 100 percent at work and when to create a good atmosphere among everyone. But the Segunda Division season is really very long...

For a player like you, what does it feel like to walk onto the pitch wearing the Leganes shirt?

Only after I returned home did I realize that I had not enjoyed playing football like this for a long time. I also told Alice and my parents about it. Of course, one thing would have made it even better: if we had taken two more points. But I truly enjoyed the atmosphere of the match.

The past few years have been difficult for me, but now I am happy, and I think everyone can see that. I even enjoyed the away trip to the Canary Islands. If it had been a few years ago, I might have found such a trip much more troublesome. Now I am simply enjoying these everyday things in life.

Why did you stop enjoying these everyday things before?

I think maybe because eventually you gradually get used to everything and no longer truly appreciate it. You get used to being called up by the national team, and you get used to traveling on charter flights... But now I am happy to experience these things again.

I think this is the stage of my career when I have felt the most affection from everyone. To be honest, when I decided to play in the Segunda Division, this was also something I was a little worried about. However, I have great respect for all the players competing in the Segunda Division and fighting for promotion. There are also some clubs here with truly long histories.

Many people are surprised that a player who has almost won everything is willing to come here, so everyone is grateful to you, right?

Once you put on the Leganes shirt, everything you did before no longer matters. In the match a few days ago, I felt like it was the first day of my career. I have to go to the training ground soon, and I really want to go now.

A few days ago in Las Palmas, I stayed in my room and could not even take a nap. This has not happened to me many times; at most, it happened before a Champions League final or a European Championship final in the past.

The current Morata seems to no longer care at all about how the outside world evaluates him... Why has this change happened?

No, I do not think this is a change. I have simply realized that I can no longer change my own story.

Before choosing Leganes, I received an invitation from a coach I have a good relationship with, and his team could compete in European competitions. But even if I went there and scored 20 or 30 goals, it would not change my life. If I can help this team get promoted to La Liga, perhaps it really would be different. This is a completely different challenge.

People who like me will always like me, and those who do not like me will still not like me even if I win the European Golden Shoe.

Yes, I did give up some Champions League opportunities for Leganes. But for me, my 'Champions League' is making a decision that I consider brave. I do not want people to think I came here simply because I wanted to stay close to home. I came here because of the project they have, because I hope to stay, and because they have already shown me that they truly wanted me to come.

What was the process of leaving Como like? Was Cesc strict as a coach?

I think the situation at that time was no longer suitable for me to continue staying, and that is how it was. But I cannot say a single bad word about Fabregas. He is my friend and helped me a lot.

He is truly excellent. I have no doubt that if he wants to, he can remain at Como, because he is already fully prepared to coach any top club in the world.

Previously, I knew him as a teammate, so I had some doubts about how he would handle difficult moments.

But in reality, there were no problems at all. He is a very intelligent person, and he has learned something from every great coach he has worked with.