Oier Zarraga was this week's guest on Udinese Tonight, fresh from turning out for the Basque Country at the weekend. The Udinese midfielder spoke about that novel international experience before discussing the current state of affairs in Udine and differences between Italy and Spain.
Oier began by talking about what it was like to don the jersey of the Basque Country in Saturday's friendly match against Palestine in Bilbao.
“It was a wonderful experience that gave me a real boost. I have to thank the club because the Basque Country is not officially recognised as a national team. But they understood what it means to me to be Basque and they let me go to play. It was a match to send out a message of solidarity and peace, with everything that's going on. It was also a chance for me to go home and play in a big stadium – the one I always dreamt of playing in when I was a kid. It's a memory I will treasure forever.”
Back in Friuli, the sights are now back on Udinese's targets for the season.
“The first thing is to get 40 points on the board. But we're a good team and we can do better than that. Last year we made the mistake of easing off at the end of the season but we've learnt from it and I think we can get even more points this year.”
Zarraga also spoke about the strong competition for places in midfield this season.
“We have lots of midfielders with different attributes. I keep working and waiting for my chance, and when I get to play I try to do my best. I'm now in a situation that no player likes to be in but when I go on, even if it's only for ten minutes, I have to give my all to help the team earn points.”
His effort hasn't gone unnoticed by the Udinese fans.
“The fans' support is important, especially when you're not playing much. It's great to see that they're always behind you.”
Oier is now in his third season in Udine, having joined from club with a prestigious academy such as Athletic Bilbao.
“It wasn't an easy choice for me to come to Udine. I came from a big club. But Udinese is a bit like NASA – there's everything you need to improve as a player, from the staff to the facilities. It's incredible what they've set up here to improve the team.”
He was then asked about the differences between football in Italy and football in Spain.
“The main difference is that in Spain you work more on scoring goals than on organisation. In Spain, the attacking movement is better and it's something you train as a youngster. I was in the Athletic academy and up until the age of 16 or 17 there was no talk of winning matches, only what I should do in my position, how I needed to move and so on. If you're given the right tools, it's easier to understand those things.”
Finally, Zarraga was asked about his favourite position.
"I prefer playing in the holding role because I'm closer to the ball. Playing back to goal is not my forte.”