MONTOYA: "I DIDN'T FEEL BAD ABOUT MY ARRIVAL BECAUSE I KNEW WHAT TO EXPECT"

Walter Montoya was one of the stars in the first friendly played in Japan. The Argentine, a winter signing during the last campaign, spent his first few months in Spain without really making an impact, although he is convinced that things are going to change: "I had to come to the club while the season was already in motion and I had to focus quickly. I found it a little difficult, but I had already been told that this was a gradual process. It's not the same when you arrive on equal footing with your teammates, but I took it in the best way and it helped me learn a lot".

Although it wasn't an easy situation, he made it clear that it's part and parcel of such an arrival: "I didn't feel bad, because in my head I knew what to expect. I knew that Argentinian football is not like the Spanish game, and I came with determination and a desire to learn, which is what will help me in the future. Now I see it as something positive because I'm on an equal footing with the others and these five months helped me a lot". 

Now he faces the future convinced that he can play a key role in Berizzo's plans: "New coaching staff have come who are also Argentinian, and to me that is also key. This campaign has just begun and you have to demonstrate that you're at the top of your game so that later the coach picks you. I'm training hard like the rest of the group to face the Champions League playoff. We are doing well and these friendlies are going to help us a lot".