Interview with Daniel Sullivan: "Red blood, sky blue heart

We start our new section, written totally in English, with a beautiful interview. Liverpool is a magic place to all football lovers. For Celta supporters as well. There, Revivo made history some years ago with his goal at Anfield Road. Iago Aspas, however, was not so lucky. He moved from the Beatle's homeland last summer, but he left there a loyal fan. Daniel Sullivan is a celtista in the UK. It is not only Iago's fault. Actually, Bustos is the main guilty of his passion. In a city where Liverpool and Everton are in command, he prefers supporting a team from the south of Galicia. Weird, isn't it? Red blood, but sky blue heart. This is Daniel.

As you can imagine, our readers are looking forward to hearing why did an englishman from Liverpool become a Celta de Vigo supporter?

My passion for Celta started in the 2012-13 season. I had watched Spanish Football for around a year at this point and had began to grow a liking towards Celta mainly due to their performance against Real Madrid in the Copa Del Rey. My love for Celta was then complete after the goal from Mario Bermejo vs Real Zaragoza which showed exactly what football is all about.

Are you alone or have you met any other Celtistas in your area?

I am yet to meet any other Celtistas in England but i think that the recent tour of England has helped to raise the profile of the club in recent times.

What do your relatives and friends think about your sky blue passion? Have you tried to become them to “celtismo”?

Liverpool is a passionate city for football. Everyone supports either Liverpool or Everton unlike in Spain where some people will support two teams such as Sevilla and Madrid. At first my love for Celta was not fully understood but after the 3-1 win against Everton last summer i have been able to sleep well.

Do you support another british club as well? Maybe Liverpool or Everton?

I have grew up as a Liverpool fan for as long as i can remember. This has been helped by great memories and games that i have been to early on such as numerous Champions League games against great teams in Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus; whilst attending games against much worse teams such as Deportivo La Coruna in 2005.

Is Celta well known in the UK?

The traditional idea of older English fans is that all other European Leagues are behind the Premier League. However, more and more youngsters are watching teams such as Celta often due to live games shown on English television. This has definitely helped to raise the profile of the Club in the UK.

Celta played several games in the UK in the last 90s and at the beginning of the century as well. Particularly, in Villa Park (Aston Villa), Highbury (Arsenal), Celtic Park (Celtic) and at your place, Liverpool, in Anfield Road. Do you remember any of those games?

I don't unfortunately. I am only 17 which means that i have not been able to live through the times of Mostovoi and Karpin but i am well aware of the recent history of the club and often show Revivo's goal at Anfield to Liverpool fans who do not understand the Celtismo.

According to the last season, are you happy with the team? Which mark do you think it deserves at the end of the competition?

This is the best Celta team that i have seen. Not many would have thought that we would be challenging for Europe during the days of 4.01% a few years ago. In terms of this season i am very satisfied. The win at the Camp Nou and the way in which we challenged Madrid at Balaidos have shown that we can compete against the best in world football. My pre-season expectation was to finish 12th or above while collecting at least 4 points in the Gallego derby. We have definitely met and exceeded this target so i will give the team a rating of 9/10.

What is your opinion about Eduardo Berizzo?

I think that the appointment of Toto after Lucho left for Barca was not expected by many but during his first year i am pleased with the work of Berizzo as Celta manager. You can clearly see that he has strong feelings towards Celta which definitely helps. I have been impressed with our performances in the big games especially, and Toto has to take a lot of credit for that. Substitutions in key moments are something that he needs to work on however.

Who was the MVP in your opinion? Why?

We have had many great individual performances over the season from our players but there can only be one winner. Nolito provides the magic in the final third of the pitch and we would be much worse off without him. It is no surprise that his 13 goals and 13 assists last season have attracted the attention on big clubs around Europe.

Who was the breakout player?

I have been very impressed with the performances of Sergio Alvarez this season and it does not surprise me that he was selected in the revelation team of the season. His level has dropped in recent games but i have no doubt that he will be a success again next season.

Who was below your expectations?

Many people will question the performances of Pablo Hernández but no one knew what to expect from a player arriving from Chile. I have been slightly disappointed with the contribution of Charles although a lot of it is not down to the player. He has struggled to make the difference as an impact player who does not start every game and it may be time for both parties to move on unfortunately as i do believe that he is a good player.

Two relevant players left the team this season: Borja Oubiña and Michael Krohn-Dehli? What’s your opinion about them? Will Celta miss them?

Krohn Dehli moving on to Sevilla will leave a big hole in the midfield of Celta. He has been unbelievable since his signing from Brondby and has taken to the midfield role especially well. His creativity and energy will be missed but it gives the opportunity for other players such as Pablo Hernández and Borja Fernández to step up. Oubiña on the other hand will be missed due to his influence in the dressing room rather than his performances on the pitch. He is a great professional who has been damaged by injuries but i expect him to stay connected with the team in some role.

What do you expect for next season?

As Mouriño and Berizzo said last leason, it is important to reach 40 points as quickly as possible to ensure that we stay in the division. After that, we can start to dream of Europe but it will depend on a number of factors such as our transfer dealings in the summer. I feel quietly confident that if everything goes right, we can make a real push for the Europa League.

What positions should be strengthened?

A replacement for Krohn should be top of the list for our transfer targets. I also believe that a top striker is needed to bring us to the next level.

Should boys from the Academy have more opportunities? How do you think Celta works with its young talents?

I feel very proud of the talent that A Madroa has produced in recent years such as Jonny and Mina. I would like to see Ruben, Costas and Borja play a bigger role next season as i think that they have much to offer both now and in the future. I am also looking forward to following the progress of Yelko Pino and Pape Diop in a few years. It will be interesting to see how the departure of Toni Otero will impact things.

What is your opinion about Spanish football? I mean not only in terms of the game. I would like to know your opinion about the organization of the competition as well: timetables, distribution of TV money… Do you think it is a fair competition?

There is a famous saying amongst Spanish Football fans in England, "played by geniuses, run by idiots". In terms of football ability, La Liga is the best in the world. Excellent scouting and youth development allows Spanish teams to compete at the highest level despite the lack of money in comparison to the Premier League. England is the best in a marketing sense and attracting new viewers due to the entertainment, but La Liga is much more exciting for true football fans.

The organisation of the league however is a joke. The passion of the fans is being taken advantage of by Javier Tebas and Ángel María Villar who care more about their egos than football. Spanish football and Spanish politics are suffering from men who believe in conservatism and are scared that much needed change will threaten their power. There are people in Spanish football who would not be interested if all stadium attendances were like the Alfonso Pérez and this must change, starting with fairer television deals for the smaller clubs.

Which is the main difference related to the Premier League?

I think that the main difference between Spanish and English football in general is the quality and the methods of coaching. The English idea is to be be strong and get the ball forward as quickly as possible. This is shown in the quality of football in the Premier League, especially in the lower teams such as QPR. In the bigger teams, foreign players are more common than English players due to this lack of quality. Until there is an overhaul in coaching at youth level, England will not be able to compete internationally.

The difference in style is one of the main reasons as to why i was attracted to Spanish Football. Teams prefer to promote players from their canteira systems whereas English teams in the bottom half of the table can spend £10 million on a proven player with little trouble.

Revivo is not the only “céltico” known in Liverpool. Iago Aspas was playing there one year ago after being transferred by 10 millions of euros. Do you like him? Do Liverpool fans have a different opinion? Why did he not succeed at Anfield Road?

Personally i am a big fan of El Genio De Moana. He is one of the main reasons as to why my love for Celta began. He follows me on my Twitter account and i have tried to convince him many times to return to Balaidos. Finally, I succeeded. I think Liverpool have been guilty of buying good players rather than world class players that they need. People expected Aspas to be a big success but he was not given the chance to prove himself, mainly because of the form of Suárez and Sturridge. Unfortunately Iago will always be remembered in England for his corner against Chelsea.

And what about Nolito? He was related to Everton last summer. Do people keep talking about him at the Beatles’ city? Do you think they will try to purchase him again?

There was clear interest from Everton into signing Nolito last summer. Their fans became aware of him after his hat-trick at Prenton Park and were hopeful that they would sign him. In the present day, i do not expect Nolito to leave for Everton. They will be unwilling to pay the buyout clause of €18 million and Nolito has said that he wants to stay in Spain. Whether that will be with Celta or another team we will have to see.

Who is/was your favourite Celta player?

Without doubt, Iago Aspas. He saved the club on his home debut vs Alaves from regelation with his two goals, helped to bring Celta back to the Primera Division and finally keep them there. A true Celta legend.

Which goal will you never forget?

Natxo Insa vs Espanyol. There is nothing more satisfying than escaping relegation while sending the turcos to the Segunda.

What is Celta for you?

5 simple words: Afouteza, Corazon, Orgullo e Tradicion.