Mallorca midfielder Omar Mascarel is set to face his former club Real Madrid, with whom he made his debut under Jose Mourinho more than a decade ago at the Santiago Bernabeu, in the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia.
But it’s another football club he still credits with helping him develop into the player he is today, one that won the cup in Germany with Eintracht Frankfurt and Champions League experience with Schalke. is
It was there that Mascarel had to grow up as a youngster in the mud and nettles of the Championship, and football was the least of his problems. “I just remember it was dark at four o’clock in the afternoon,” he says Sky Sports.
Mascarel pursued Chelsea’s Eden Hazard during his time at Derby County
“I’m in Mallorca now, and it’s 18 degrees and sunny, but I’m from the Canary Islands, and the weather is even better there than here in Mallorca. I was very young, and I didn’t speak any English.”
Mascarelli’s loan signing from Real Madrid made a splash in Steve McClaren’s derby in 2014. They were tied at the top of the table when he was injured in March, but collapsed in his absence to finish eighth.
He still has good memories. “I was lucky that I joined a very good club. They put me with a teacher from the very beginning. I also had very good teammates who helped me a lot.”
Jeff Hendrick,” he says with a smile. “He was always there for me, even when I didn’t speak English. He took me to his house and tried to improve me. He’s really a great person to talk to.”
Mascarel has fond memories of the support he received from Jeff Hendrick at Derby
He adds: “We played together and I learned a lot at Real Madrid, where everything was more tactical. When I arrived in England, it was so physical, and then the other was much faster.
“It’s had a big impact on me. I’ve improved as a player and as a person. I always think maybe one day I’ll go back there to relive the memories, you know. But of course I’ve grown a lot over the course of the season, too.” I was a better player when I went to Germany.”
Mascarel had many great moments in the Bundesliga, including the 2018 cup final win over Bayern Munich. “It was great and my level was very high.” He was involved in the 4-2 win against Borussia Dortmund. “We had a great team.”
Mascarel celebrates a goal during Eintracht Frankfurt’s famous cup win over Bayern Munich
But this next chapter for Mallorca may be even more surprising. They qualified for the Spanish Super Cup last season, losing to Athletic Bilbao, but it turns out that Mallorca are doing better this time around :
Under new coach Jagoba Arasate, who did such a good job at Osasuna, they are up to sixth in La Liga this season, which is a big improvement from last season’s 15th position we are growing as a club,” explains Mascarel.
“Last season was not good. We saved the season by going to the final. But this season, right from the beginning, we started winning games. I think the players feel free and the change was good for everyone for
“He changed the system. Last season we always played with five. Now we play 4-2-3-1. It’s a little bit different, but it gives us more freedom . We have to be a little more offensive. It’s a long season, but we’re positive.”
If the changes in Mallorca have been subtle, the transformation in Mascarel’s life and career has taken place at the international level.
“I’ve been hanging out with them for a long time. I had a friend on staff who told me it would be great. I was 31. It was or never.” was one of the best decisions of my career.
“For me it was a completely different experience than what I live here every day. It’s very important for me as a person to see how people live there. It’s special for me it is necessary. It took a long time to decide, but I thank God that I said yes.”
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Highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Bristol City and Derby County
Mascarel has already been rewarded with a moment of magic as Equatorial Guinea confirmed their place at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco in December. “I saw the kids and how happy they are, that’s everything for them,” he says.
“When I was outside and we had celebrations and when you see only one country united, we were like heroes. We will be in Morocco, so we are very happy about that we can do some good there.”
Before then, there is a chance to make a little more history with “Mallorca”. They need to beat the winner of “Barcelona” and “Atletico” in the final to lift the trophy. But first, there is the challenge of knocking out the European champion “Real Madrid” in the semi-finals.
“We can’t wait,” says Mascarel. “We’re playing against Real Madrid, one of the biggest clubs in the world. We know it’s a big opportunity for us, a big opportunity for us to play in the cup.” And we know we have a chance to win.”
“Mallorca drew with Madrid in August, so there is hope. We had a great game then. They have great players, but if they want to beat us, they have to play well that we are going to fight and give everything,” he adds.
“I don’t know if we will win or not, but we are like a family. We are together.” An Equatorial Guinean footballer of Spanish descent, playing for the Balearic Islands club in Saudi Arabia and once again drawing on his youth experience at Derby County.
