Jose Galán and his cathartic trip to Africa: “I have reconnected with the essence of football”

He is the active Spanish player who has visited the most countries to play football. In total, he has been in 24 clubs in 15 different countries . He has managed to embrace four different continents . He does not like the term “globetrotter”. “ I have never moved by any record ,” he admits in the chat with Legal Sport . However, his travels would have been signed by the very ‘Willy Fog’.

His latest adventure took him to Africa in June. “I went on holiday to the Ivory Coast to visit a friend and it all ended with a proposal over a glass of beer to play in an official match,” explains the Leonese. Galán’s trip was to see Álex García, his friend and owner of Zota FC, in Abidjan. “I have always sought professional challenges. I still feel competitive ,” says the footballer and psychology graduate. Once all the bureaucratic formalities were resolved, as he is currently competing in the Gibraltar First Division , he packed his bags and set off on a regenerating adventure for himself.

Leader Of A historic rise.

Spain, Indonesia, Austria, Jordan, Romania, Finland, Andorra, Hong Kong, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Canada and Gibraltar . These are the countries where Jose Galán has been. Now we have to add the Ivory Coast. “I met Alex in Qatar in 2018 when he was training at the Aspire Academy and we still keep in touch. I went to help him in the Ivory Coast and I brought some sports equipment along the way. It is true that I could have signed for a team in South Africa years ago, but it didn’t happen. I had a bit of a thorn in my side,” admits the experienced player. What was initially about contributing his knowledge and motivating the players, turned into an active participation in training and a formal proposal from his colleague to play a match with Zota. Not just any match. The idea was to play the final for promotion against the Royal Club . A promotion to what would be the Second RFEF in Spain. All good stories begin with a touch of madness…

In the Ivory Coast, football is everywhere.

Even more so since the Ivorian team’s unexpected triumph in the last African Cup of Nations . Jose Galán was looking for a new and inspiring experience. Something out of the ordinary that would make him reconnect with the roots of football. He was at the right time and place: “ This has been my worst year in football. I had a personal problem and I took it to the field. I lost my enthusiasm .” And it was between dirt fields, parking spaces converted into makeshift changing rooms and seeing the enthusiasm of a group of 16 and 21-year-old boys playing for their future that he felt the passion for the sport he loves again. “I bounced the ball badly, I complained, we drank water from a bag, but then I stopped to think about the things I’ve had in my career that we take for granted and that we don’t have to take for granted. “It’s been good for me to appreciate what we have and to keep my feet on the ground ,” says the midfielder, who highlights “the great physique” of many of the players with whom he shared a team for a few days.

So far, it’s a nice story. Although not everything went smoothly.

The promotion match was postponed and Jose had to return to Spain and wait for a call from his friend Alex to confirm a new date: “I was at home for about five days and they confirmed that I had to be there again on Friday to play the following Monday. It’s a long trip, with a 13-hour stopover,” admits the footballer. In addition, on this second trip he caught a stomach virus that put his participation in the match in jeopardy: “ I had a terrible time. I didn’t want to let anyone down. Imagine the situation. Luckily I recovered and was able to play the match .” Galán was able to help with his skill and experience to win the match against Zota by 1-0 and seal the club’s promotion: “It was a huge relief. Seeing the happy faces of those boys was unique. I’ve been in an Austrian Cup final, I’ve played against footballers like Sadio Mané, but the pressure I was under that day was greater. I didn’t want to disappoint,” says the midfielder. For many, this promotion has changed their lives. It has given them the opportunity to go to Qatar, Saudi Arabia or even Europe in search of a better future for themselves and their families.

The Importance Of taking care of body and mind.

Jose Galán is 38, but he still has the body of someone ten years younger. “I am a person who takes good care of himself. I have also been spared from injuries, although I have had six operations. As long as I feel that I want to prove myself, to train, to compete and see that the teams trust me, I will continue playing,” he confesses. He is clear that he wants to continue in Gibraltar, a place that allows him to “be close to my family and to combine top-level football with my other job.”

Galán is part of the Algeciras staff as a sports psychologist . It is most common to see that footballers remain connected to sport when they hang up their boots as coaches, ambassadors or as members of the management of a club. In his case, his objective is to help the protagonists of the game: “I am a person who has lived through many experiences and I believe that I can contribute my vision. The footballers see that they can talk to me as an equal. That I understand them. My objective is for the athlete to be mentally well and to explore all the tools and paths to get the best out of themselves .” “That feeling of helping makes me feel good,” confesses the still footballer.

Psychology is already a tool in football and is gaining more and more importance every day. Every professional or sports structure already has the figure of a psychologist integrated into its organisational chart. However, there is still excessive mistrust in football regarding mental health. Recent examples such as those of Borja Iglesias, Bojan Krkić or Morata help to normalise this concept that has already been integrated as a new fundamental aspect in building today’s elite athlete:

«The change is radical. I do voluntary consultations and 90% of the players have come to talk to me . I think that young people are realising the importance of the mind in order to have an optimal performance».

Jose Galán stops to think about everything he has experienced. All the experiences that football has left him: “I remember playing in Indonesia in front of 90,000 people. It is impressive how football is experienced in that country.” But his trip to Africa has been a catalyst. A return to his origins; a push to continue believing in himself and in the sport that has given him so much and will continue to give him so much. The desire to excel, to help others to be better, is in his way of being. Jose Galán is not just any footballer .