As a club legend, Real Betis have left it up to Joaquín to decide whether to stay at the club for another year or hang up his boots. And although the 41-year-old seems to be leaning towards ending his career, he continues to put forward arguments that could perhaps make him change his mind.
Yesterday, in a wide-ranging interview with Radio MARCA Sevilla, he delved into the matter: “In recent years it’s true that my head has been a mental mess, a bit complicated. From a footballing point of view, I say this from the heart, it could possibly be my last year. Or maybe not, I don’t know, but I don’t want to think beyond that,” he said.
He added: “If I decide to leave and we get into the Champions League, it will kill me. But when you make these decisions you have to be aware that it can happen. The most important thing is that Betis stay as high as possible, but the idea of trying to be the player with the most games is there. And then, to try to find a way to continue helping Betis and to continue working on television.”
Of the 26 games played in La Liga, Joaquín has featured in 12. And of those 12, only in Cádiz did he start, playing for an hour at the Nuevo Mirandilla. In the club’s six matches in the Europa League group stage, he only missed the last one against HJK Helsinki at the Benito Villamarín due to injury. Before that, he was a starter in Helsinki and in the two matches against Ludogorets and Roma. And he also played in both matches against Manchester United.
Kieran Quaile | GSFN
