Isi Gómez: «We are going to fight for the playoff»

A ray lights up Badajoz’s game this season. Isi Gómez is one of the gamers of the black and white squad and the Nuevo Vivero surrenders at his feet. A magic that began to sprout from his top hat since he made his debut with Rayo at the Nou Camp at the age of 17. He has only missed four games due to injury and has started the rest, except in two (Cultural and Calahorra) when he came off the bench.

Isi Gómez (Madrid, 1995) has been a fixture on the team since he landed at the Nuevo Vivero. He was the first new face of Badajoz. “The first week I was received very well and it was very easy for me to come here,” he recalls. He arrived at a leading club and in the middle of waking up from a bad dream due to the frustrated promotion against Amorebieta, but with the effervescence of taking advantage of that social pull to try again with the same enthusiasm. He could not even imagine what would come after the arrest of the president and owner Joaquín Parra. A shock that caught everyone by surprise and has turned into a real nightmare that still hits the locker room. “Everyone was excited. There was a nice project, but there is no other choice but to keep rowing, ”assumes the Madrid midfielder. The season has been a real emotional roller coaster for the players who have lived in continuous upheaval. Isi Gómez points out that this uncertainty has marked much of the course and continues to do so. “Despite the internal difficulties of the club, we have tried to focus on football, but it is very complicated,” he acknowledges. «Everyone knows what has happened and everything is learned. This has helped us to strengthen ties with the fans and teammates. There is an incredible union and despite everything it has been a very nice year for me », he adds.

Regarding the arrival of the new group that has been put in charge of Badajoz’s management, he points out that some calm has been achieved, although everything remains more or less equally uncertain. “Now the situation is somewhat calmer, but the problems have not been solved,” he maintains. In that sense, the template takes refuge in sports. “We have the goal of the playoff in front of us and we want to focus on that. If we manage to get into the playoffs we can finish the season in a very nice way.

Badajoz returned to rejoin the fight for the promotion phase after chaining six days without losing. The defeat before the DUX does not alter that path traced. “The team continues along the same lines as last week,” he explains. And he goes through every day. “In the locker room we talk about going game by game, it’s the typical thing that is said, but the truth is that we only think about adding three by three and when the end is approaching, tighten and fight to get on top.” For Isi Gómez, the playoff is possible and an escape route to which he can hold on to forget so much misfortune. “As long as the math doesn’t say otherwise, we’re going to fight it. We are many teams fighting for those positions. That first stop comes on Friday against Real Unión. «We have to face direct rivals and it is vital to get the victory. It is a good team, with a combinative game and it will be very difficult.

Debut at the age of 17 at the Nou Camp

Isi Gómez was trained in the Rayo Vallecano academy and at the age of 17 he saw his dream come true of debuting in the First Division. Nothing less than at the Nou Camp against Barcelona 9 years ago now. He is the youngest in the history of the Vallecano club. “I debuted very young at 17 and maybe it wasn’t the right time because I was a child and I wasn’t ready,” he explains. That March 17, 2013 is impossible to forget for the current black and white player. “I remember it very happily. It was the best Barça, there were Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets, Messi… and me being a kid without developing. The same as the number 39 that he wore and that is engraved on his twin, in addition to using it on his social profiles. I have that number tattooed on my left leg. In the Rayo subsidiary he coincided with his cousin Adrián Embarba, currently at Espanyol. “We keep in touch and when we see each other we catch up. He is really enjoying his stage at Espanyol ».