Spain taught me professionalism — Adepoju

The Headmaster, ex international and former La Liga player, Mutiu Adepoju speaks to Esther Egbe about career and recent developments in the sports arena. He enjoyed a top flight career in the Spanish league playing for Racing Santander and Real Sociedad. 

WHO really is Mutiu Adepoju?
Mutiu Adepoju is a very simple person, am a native of Ibadan, married with four kids.

Tell us about your deal with La Liga ?
One of the world’s most successful leagues, La Liga, has thrown its doors wide open to Nigeria with ex-World Cup star Mutiu Adepoju tasked with installing the Spanish top flight league as No.1 in this football-mad country.
Already, a five-year co-operation with the Nigeria league has seen an All-Stars team feature on a playing tour of Spain during which they lost all three matches to Valencia, Malaga and Atletico Madrid last month.La Liga will soon donate 4,000 footballs to the country, while coaches from Spain are scheduled to visit to educate their counterparts in schools and academies in Nigeria.An Under-13 tournament, La Liga Promesa, will be staged in Nigeria and so too South Africa. La Liga Foundation has also made a cash donation to assist Nigeria premier league club El Kanemi Warriors and Internally Displaced People (IDPs) as a result of the havoc in northeast Nigeria caused by the terrorists’ organisation Boko Haram.

Is it only in Nigeria Laliga has an office?
No,it already has its offices in the Unitd States of America, Dubai, China and Japan and the plan is to soon open five offices in Africa. The first two, in South Africa and Nigeria, are already functioning. We will be the best together.” The recent trip to Spain of both players and managers of Nigerian clubs was a major step to make La Liga No.1 in the country.

What’s achievement so far?
Within a few months of this agreement, La Liga has taken a team from here to Spain, where there was also a workshop for Nigerian club managers on organisation and marketing to make our clubs more viable,we may have lost all three matches, but we took some positives from this tour as it was a massive exposure for all stakeholders players and club officials.players like (Ikechukwu) Ezenwa interested Cadiz after this tour.
We want to open the door of La Liga to Nigerian players.The English Premier League is without doubt the best followed competition in Nigeria and parades some of Nigeria top stars Mikel Obi, Victor Moses Chelsea), Kelechi Iheanacho (Manchester City), Odion Ighalo, Isaac Success (Watford), Alex Iwobi (Arsenal)unlike the Mutiu generation which boasted the likes of Peter Rufai, Finidi George, Wilfred Agbonavbare and Christopher Ohenhen in La Liga, young defender Uche Agbo of Granada CF is now the only Nigeria star playing regularly there.The EPL has the edge right now, but we want La Liga to be much more visible because Africa is a big football market and I believe in the nearest future we will do so.

What is the objective of this deal with La Liga?
To objective is to be No. 1 both on and off the pitch.La Liga is No. 1 football wise it’s a competitive league, Barcelona and Real Madrid are the richest, but the league is trying to control the spendings of the club and so the likes of Atletico Madrid, Seville and Valencia are now contesting with the big two.But marketing and media wise, we hope to also be No 1. In two years, we hope to be the market leader with the biggest media visibility in Nigeria.And he also agreed that a stronger presence of Nigeria talent in the Spanish top league will help millions of Nigerians to relate better with La Liga.

What does  players need to part of the La Liga team ?
They need to work on their skills, speed, character and understanding of the tactical demands of La Liga.

Was your abiltity to play football in built or you learnt it while studying Physical Education in school?
It is inborn; my father and uncle were footballers. I think I inherited it from them but developed it by playing for my primary school team, secondary school team and my university team.

Can you compare the Super Eagles of your time to the present Super Eagles?
The olden days eagles was different, the commitment was different because in recent years we have not been doing great in football but, there is always a new beginning. The new crop of Eagles is going to make something good for us.

Of all the matches you have played so far, which one is your memorable one?
When I played for the under 20, the two goals I scored in the semi finals against USA that took us to the final, though the match ended 2.1 The match we played against Algeria in Aigias was also memorable. The match ended 1-1. The match against Spain in France 1998 was also memorable. In that match we won 3-2 and I scored part of the goals.