Real Sociedad alumnus Rubén Pardo recently gave an interview, looking back on his career.

In addition, Pardo discussed his nickname "New Alonso" and Xabi Alonso's coaching prospects.

Why did you join Ethnikos Achna?

"Because the team's coach called me personally and told me about his plans. I was very eager to play at the time, so I decided to accept the challenge."

How do you feel?

"I'm full of anticipation, passionate about this new project, and I can't wait to settle in here and start everything anew. Last year I didn't play for a year, but I trained hard all year. Training alone is different from training with a team, and I'm very excited to be part of such a project. After a difficult year, I hope to enjoy football, pass on my personal experience to the youngsters, and learn from others. I came here to enjoy football, experience a new league, and I hope to perform well and continue to enjoy football for a few more years."

The team's coach, Chygrynskiy, is a Barcelona alumnus. Had you met him before?

"I know he's a former Barcelona player who played in Spain, but unfortunately, I hadn't met him before, so I didn't know him."

What was your life like during those months when you couldn't play?

"It was very difficult, mainly mentally agonizing. To be honest, I wanted to retire several times during those months, but in the end, I convinced myself to be stronger and keep working hard. I especially want to thank my coaches, who helped me tremendously, giving me infinite strength in daily training, allowing me to persist in training and always aiming to find a new team."

Tell us about your time at Aris.

"When I first joined the team, I was very enthusiastic. But due to some non-sporting factors, I didn't get many opportunities to play. I trained hard every day, eager to play, but the situation got worse and worse, and eventually, someone within the club decided not to let me play anymore. To be honest, Thessaloniki is a very beautiful and livable city, but salaries were almost a year overdue there, and then inexplicably, I wasn't even allowed to play... I have to say those days were very tough."

How did you get through it?

"The coach told me that he thought I was in great shape and he really wanted to play me, but due to the club's demands, he couldn't, and then he didn't say much more... I'm very grateful that the coach was honest with me, so I knew what was going on. The coach's words made me realize that the problem wasn't with me, which gave me the confidence to continue. Plus, I made a lot of good friends in Thessaloniki, which was my motivation to persevere and the most important gain from that period of my career."

You seem to often join poorly run teams... You also joined Bordeaux back then, which was in its last few years in Ligue 1. Did you ever think Bordeaux would fall to such a state?

"Leaving Real Sociedad was a very difficult decision, but at the time, joining Bordeaux seemed like a good option. Bordeaux was a renowned team in Ligue 1, had participated in European competitions many times, and seemed like a very good destination, but as you said, when I joined, things at Bordeaux were already not quite right... There were undercurrents within the club, people in the city were talking about it, and I realized that staying there would not be a long-term solution, so I left early. Not long after, Bordeaux fell into despair, and thankfully, I wasn't caught up in it."

Did you know at the time that Bordeaux might experience such a serious crisis?

"I can only say that based on what I knew at the time, this situation was indeed possible, and you could actually see signs from many daily operations."

Tell us about your experience at Real Sociedad.

"I came to Zubieta when I was 11. Leaving my hometown was difficult for me, but everything I experienced in Donostia-San Sebastián has become the most precious treasure in my life. I deeply love Donostia-San Sebastián, and I have an undying love for Real Sociedad. I remember every moment there, and I will always be grateful for everything Real Sociedad gave me."

At Real Sociedad, people called you the new Alonso. How did you view that comparison at the time?

"Actually, I didn't like that nickname; it annoyed me. Of course, in some ways, fans calling me 'New Alonso' was an affirmation of me, meaning they thought I had the same technical ability as Alonso, and at some point in my life, I was excited about that nickname. But ultimately, I am me; I should be myself, be Pardo, not some 'New Alonso.' After realizing this, I decided to forge my own path, gradually shaping the image of Pardo, rather than living in the shadow of Xabi Alonso, who had already left."

Now Xabi Alonso is the head coach at Chelsea. Do you want to be a coach in the future?

"To be honest, I do have the idea of becoming a coach, and I hope to continue working in football after retirement. As for whether I'll be a head coach or an assistant coach, I don't have a clear idea yet. I love football; football is my life's passion, so after retirement, I will definitely continue to work in football-related fields."

Do you think Xabi Alonso will do better at Chelsea than at Real Madrid?

"I'm sure he can. Xabi Alonso is a clear-thinking coach. Although his experience at Real Madrid was not smooth, he received widespread praise from players and management when he was with Real Sociedad B. I can only say that Real Madrid... is a very complex team, and we all know that the way things work there is different from normal teams."

Talk about Real Betis and Leganés.

"I didn't play for Real Betis for long, but they treated me and my family very well, so Real Betis will always hold a place in my heart. At Leganés, I played many games as a starter, but I was never able to help the team return to La Liga... I feel very sorry."

Do you hope to return to Spain to play football again?

"Of course, I came to Cyprus to start playing again, to let everyone see that Pardo is still the Pardo with good physical condition and excellent ball control. I hope to be a starter at Ethnikos Achna, play as many games as possible, and then see if there's a chance to return to Spain."

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