This week, after joining the Spanish U-21 national team, Espi was interviewed by AS. In the first part of the interview (which we've divided into three parts due to its length), he discussed his feelings about being called up to the Spanish U-21 squad and his experience with the transfer to Real Madrid this summer.

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You were previously considered a strong candidate for Spain's senior squad. Are you surprised by this U-21 call-up? Did you expect it? How do you feel about being selected for the U-21s, especially since you've played in youth categories before?

I certainly had a chance of being called up; I've been scoring goals and all that. To be honest, this U-21 call-up has motivated me a lot. I especially hope to help the team and contribute as much as I can. I'm full of anticipation.

You know this group of players well, right? You've played alongside many of them before. Who do you have the best chemistry with on the team? Who are your closest friends, and who helped you adapt to this new phase?

Yes, I know almost everyone in this squad: Chema, Ramón, Rodríguez, López from our U-19 days — I could list almost all of them. They helped me a lot and allowed me to integrate into the team quickly, which makes me very happy.

Do you see this U-21 call-up as an opportunity to open the door to the senior squad, similar to how Fresneda was called up after Porro was withdrawn from the team?

I hope so. This is my first time being called up to the Spanish U-21 squad, and I'll give my all to help the team and always be ready.

For you, this is a completely new chapter in your life, right? There have been emotional ups and downs at Real Madrid as well; we just talked about that. Not long ago, you were a key figure at Levante, and now you're at Real Madrid, playing alongside Mbappé, Vinicius Jr., Bellingham, and Courtois. Is there a moment when you look in the mirror and ask yourself: "Carlos, wait, what exactly is happening?"

To be honest, whenever I go back to my hometown and to real life, I truly realize what a great honour it is to train with the best players in the world. I'm very happy about it.

Your transfer happened very suddenly — it was a lightning-fast transfer, right? You said you couldn't even tell your friends at the time, as if everything was normal one second and the next you'd already joined Real Madrid. How do you remember those days? How difficult was it to keep the transfer secret?

Those days were truly agonizing. Imagine knowing in your heart that you were going to Real Madrid but not being able to tell anyone. Those few days were really tough; I really wanted to share the good news, but we had to follow protocol.

The club told us the official announcement would come soon, and we couldn't leak any information before that. I really wanted to tell my friends, and when people asked me "Which team are you going to?", I couldn't say anything, but I was extremely happy inside, and my friends were happy for me too.

Mourinho accepted you from day one. It's said that he even took you to see the training ground and had dinner with you. Is that true? What does Mourinho mean to you? What have you learned from him? What has he asked of you?

Mourinho has a brilliant track record as a coach. He treated me with kindness from my first day with the team, while also being demanding and very attentive to my development. That made me feel more relaxed and confident. It's an honour to be treated this way by Mourinho, and I'm very happy.

Traduzido por IA.

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