Ainhoa: I’ve always been a part of Athletic

Ainhoa Tirapu is, at 23 years of age, the starting goalkeeper for our Women’s team. After a first difficult year, Ainhoa is unquestionably for Iñigo Juaristi and wearing the number 1 on her back enthusiastically and proudly defends the rojiblanca goal.

We had the luck of chatting with her awhile at the Lezama facilities and this is what she had to say:

How did you get started in football?
Well, in my case, I played on the Ikastola field. All day playing football then, one day, a friend of my father’s proposed that I play on the Barañain indoor football team. And that’s when I began, when I was ten years old. I played there for 4 years and then, I signed for Lagunak.

Have you always been a goalie?
When I started I was a defence, but apparently I wasn’t very good at it, so I was told, as if things weren’t too clear: Why don’t we try goalkeeping? So, as you can see, luckily I started as a goalie when I did and, well, here I am

Do you have any family history in the world of football?
My Dad did play, but as an amateur. I’ve recently found out that Fernando Tirapu, who played for Athletic, (http://www.athletic-club.net/acc/home.asp?a=7&b=250&equipo=1&jug=19&idi=1), is a distant related.

And now your mum is President of Lagunak?
Yes well, it’s a post that rotates every so often and is distributed among the different councils.

The last match there was especially tough…
We won nil to one, thanks to a goal by Itzi and it was very complicated. We needed the win in order to stay in contention for the Liga.

You were playing for Lagunak, and suddenly you leave to Puebla, to play the Copa.
I wasn’t happy. I had played very little while in the Lagunak, about nine matches more or less and the opportunity arose. Puebla gave me the possibility of playing the Copa, we hadn’t qualified and I decided to give it a try and it was a very positive experience. I played the Copa, we reached the finals and, although we lost, I have excellent memories.

You’ve been there; what’s going on between us and Puebla?
Well, to be honest, there’s nothing going on between the players. But a couple of seasons ago we had the incident with the snow and they took it badly, so matters got all thorny between the clubs. When you play there you find the whole town of 5,000 inhabitants supporting their team and so there’s a livelier atmosphere than what we’re used to in the Superliga, but among us we get along well.

How does your arrival to Athletic come about?
While I was at Puebla, Iñigo phoned me. Imagine! For me it was the opportunity to work for the best Club and the club of my dreams. I would have loved to come to Lezama even if it wasn’t a Champion team. I’ve always been a part of Athletic and I don’t say this because I play here now, just to come off well. I have Bittor Alkiza’s and Aranzubia’s jersey, and my team has always been Athletic.

You officially debut with Athletic in Europe, and suddenly they score a goal against you.
Yes, it was a pretty strange match. They scored, we drew, they scored again, and we came back to equalize and from then on we settled down and were able to win the match. It was my debut and the truth is that I allowed a goal rather quickly, but those of us that play my position can’t think much about these things because if we become confused we can throw a match. It’s true that reaching that match could have influenced us a bit after everything that had happened that summer.

I wanted to ask you about that; a convulsive summer. Iñigo, the Coach that brought you here, leaves, problems with management, change of Head Coach…
For me it was a hard year; a personally hard and bad year. I hardly played and there were some complicated situations. Iñigo contracts me and suddenly he leaves, and another coach arrives whom I don’t know whether he knows me, nor if he wants me there. The truth is that I learned a lot and I tried to assimilate things in order to improve. It was a very hard season and the whole team suffered. It is true these situations make one learn many things and I think the whole team knew how to assimilate these situations that happen in the world of football and we learn from it all.

The season finishes and Iñigo returns.
It was a surprise. We didn’t know what was going to happen. There were problems with the coach, the management, with everything in general. One day they called us to Lezama, Iñigo came, he explained things to us; he explained how he was returning and under which conditions and the truth is that he gave us all great security and it was a great joy.

The new season begins and for you it couldn’t be better.
Well, yes! For me it was difficult in the beginning. A year without playing practically makes you lose mostly confidence, but little by little I improved and ended up quite happy. I played almost everything, I debuted with the national team and in addition we were runners up with Euskadi in the national championship.

The season runs little by little and you reach the last match in San Mamés before Torrejón depending on only you. But the ball doesn’t go in…
Boy, I had a tough time. From the goal I could see the minutes passing and there was just no way. They wouldn’t even come close, but we didn’t hit the target and I thought: After winning all the home games aren’t we going to be able to win the last one? When the whistle tooted, I could feel the tears rolling down my face. The stands must have been singing the “Txapeldunak” song but I couldn’t hear anything and it wasn’t until I saw Ane jump up with her arms in the air that I realized we had won the Liga. Most importantly in San Mamés, where everything is different; from the arrival to the field, the warm-ups, the changing rooms…

Your first title…
Yes. I had never won anything. I did have a sub-championship, but I hadn’t won anything. So, imagine the sensation when I realized that what I’d achieved.

And what about what came after? How did you live the whole celebration?
Impressive! To see myself at the Regional Building, City Hall, celebrating with everyone, on top of the lorry, with a bunch of people accompanying us… Unforgettable!

You that have coincided with other players who’ve won titles, in the national team for example; are these celebrations lived the same way in other teams?
Not at all! It’s totally different. Levante is leader and is calling for fans to go watch them; a team like Levante that has such an important tradition in women’s football.

In Europe, both times you’ve participates, you’ve come rather close to passing…
It’s terrible to come so close, because if they defeat you, well, that’s fine, but twice it’s been by very little. This past summer in Slovenia, we came really close. Besides, the later drawing was rather favourable and one is left with the sensation of not having accomplished something rather beautiful. We were out because of one goal.

Have you thought about going abroad to try to live football 24 hours?
First, I have to finish my career. I want to finish it as quickly as possible. Picking up and leaving school and going abroad doesn’t fit into my plans.

And leaving to a University to play and study?
It’s very difficult. Things turned out well for Iraia because the interest came from there. But to get a full scholarship is very complicated. And to study on your own is too expensive.

I asked you to try for that improvement that without a doubt would give you the ability to think about football 24 hours, as a profession.
Sure, it would be nice. Look, the difference nowadays between first level women’s football and others, is physical. Technically, they aren’t much difference from us, but when it comes to physical training they beat us. That’s why, to be able to dedicate 24 hours a day to football would entail great improvement.

And what can you tell me about the Copa?
Wow, the Copa. I trust we’ll pass this year. We haven’t been too lucky in the drawings and always having confronted this competition while being reigning champions hasn’t helped us. It’s not total relaxation, but you do play more as if all the work’s been accomplished. Hopefully, this year we reach the finals and we can once again live a massive movement of people in Bilbao. By the way, let’s hope the finals venue is not on a ground with artificial turf; it’s a disgrace that they do so every year.

All the work that’s been developed in Athletic during these almost 6 years, has it already created a stable base for bad times?
That’s what is being worked on in Lezama. There is a B team, perhaps a third will be created, we work with reserve players, with clubs from Biscay and that’s the objective; that the players stay with the team, not only when we win.

Do the media help you with this objective?
In Biscay we can’t complain, but even so it’s not enough. While in camp with the National team, Spanish Television interviewed us. They broadcasted it indirectly at twelve midnight. The consequence was that nobody saw it.

The year that you didn’t win the Superliga did you notice a decline in fans?
There were less people, but the quality of those that came was superior. They perfectly understood the moment that we were going through and they helped us all they could.

And how you see Athletic’s future?
We are a reserves club and our future is in Lezama. Lezama has to work since it’s not possible to go buy players every summer, especially knowing that when Athletic wants a player, the price rises, sometimes astronomically. I have total faith in our philosophy and that’s how we must continue.

What about foreigners in women’s soccer?
They haven’t resulted well. Isabel is now at playing for L’Estartit and in Barça she didn’t succeed excessively either. The boom of Ronaldinha in her time was more a thing of the heart than of football. The good players do have their place in the German league or in the United States; they aren’t going to end up here.

Changing the subject; how do you handle Internet?
Well, actually very well.

What do you think of the Club’s Website?
I think it’s outstanding. And if I surf into the Women’s section, what can I say. You see other clubs’ and you could die laughing. In ours, everything is always updated; there’s the weekly plan, complete player’s statistics, that of those that are no longer active, the second team… It’s clear that more can always be done, but I think it’s phenomenal.

You’ll tell me when you have new ideas to improve it, right?
Yeah, sure! When I think of something, I’ll tell you.

What is your first Athletic memory?
Bittor Alkiza’s era; when he came to Bilbao I was 10 years old. He was my favourite player, but when he played for Athletic.

You still have a lot of time left but, have you thought about what you want to do when you leave football?
I would like to continue being involved in football but I’d also like to devote some time to chemistry, which is why I’m studying the career.

Are you very demanding when it comes to clothes or anything else?
When it comes to clothes, I’m not too demanding, though I have to admit I love accessories, especially sun glasses.

During the camps do you play the Play?
Not so much. In Slovenia we did hold a championship, but we didn’t abuse.

Is there any rival that you lose sleep over?
Not especially. Besides, it’s always a challenge to face the best players. That’s why I’d rather they play to defeat them. If I have to name one, I’d have to say Laura del Rio, but someday she’ll stop giving us problems and the satisfaction will be greater.

What about a specific ground?
Besides San Mamés, I liked the Sanchez Pizjuán. I played with Puebla and though the atmosphere was hard, I liked the ground a lot.

What about a memorable match?
I can name two; my debut match and the one against Torrejón in San Mamés this past Liga. Boy, how I suffered…

What about a Head Coach?
For now, I’ll stay with Iñigo Juaristi. Of all the ones I’ve had, he’s the one that’s taught me the most. And, besides, if I name another he may not call me up again… (Laugh) No, seriously. He is the trainer I know that knows most about football, not just women’s football, but football in general. And that is a great advantage for us all. For me it’s a privilege that he trains us.

Four titles in 4 years training in the Superliga, they’re not easy to accomplish.
Of course that not, but recognition in the world of women’s football is very difficult to achieve, though certainly, what Iñigo has achieved has an enormous merit.

Thank you, Ainhoa.