Real Oviedo goalkeeper Nereo Champagne made an appearance in the press room this morning to share his first impressions after the days of work that he has put in with the first team. “Excellent, wonderful. I found what I was hoping to find, a great club, a Primera División city, and for that reason I’m very happy. This is the type of challenge I was looking for, so I’m happy.”

When asked about Anquela, the Argentine goalkeeper stated that, “I like the way he works, not just because of the way he says things, but also the way that he implements them. I’ve built a good relationship with him and the rest of the coaching staff in the past three weeks. What he asks of us first is to make saves and then to help the team in any way we can. To keep things simple, to be serious, and to provide security. I think that’s the main thing.”

When asked about the type of team he’s seeing, Nereo said he understands that, “We can see what it’s like little by little, we’ve tried to dominate in the friendly matches, but without doing anything crazy and always being organized. Obviously it’s easier to tear things down than to build them up, so the defensive group is the one that stands out the most, we are settled in well. On the attack maybe we’re lacking that final pass, but it’s normal because it’s the last thing you get, and it’s also the most difficult, and even more so during this time of year when your head says one thing and your legs say another.”

Regarding his two fellow goalkeepers, Champagne says he has found, “Two great teammates, they’re excellent. The best part is that we don’t compete to play, each one of us competes with himself to improve every day. We help each other improve. The other guys are younger but I try to match keep up with them and learn from them. That’s what is going to give us results, so that each one of us can bring the team what it wants.” For Nereo, “The important thing is that it should be a hard decision for the coach to make. Alfonso is more explosive, faster. I base my play more on positioning, along with some other kinds of things. The important thing is that we should have the characteristics that the team needs and that we can help when we are needed.”

For the Argentine goalkeeper, the division this season looks, “Beautiful. I’ve been following Spanish football forever and there are ten teams that have more history in Primera than in Segunda. It’s one of the most even groups that I’ve ever seen, very very competitive. It’s very even, and that’s something appealing. There are three teams that seem to be a bit above the rest, but with dedication, discipline, heart, and passion we’ll try to equalize them.”

When asked if there was something that had especially surprised him, Champagne explained that, “Even though they had told me about this fan base, the fact that in the first friendly match against Vetusta they had to tell the people to stop coming because there wasn’t any room left, it’s hard to find a fan base like that. It makes you feel some pressure to win, to be the hero… I love it. Going out and winning and knowing that you have to perform because that’s what the people are asking for, it’s a really nice kind of pressure,” he stated.

Finally, when asked about the characteristics that he understands are needed to be able to fight to get promoted to Primera, Champagne stated that, “The team is crucial because there will be good and bad moments, and the team that goes through the bad moments the fastest and most united is the team that is going to make its aspirations a reality. Running and scoring isn’t how you get promoted, we all do that. You need a little more, a little competitiveness or individuality. That last one is going to be a little more difficult, but it’s important for the team to play well and have the mentality of always moving forward. That, as well as the human factor, and competing in each match as if it were the last,” he concluded.