Inside the GOAT’s laboratory: An unfiltered look at what training with Messi every day actually feels like

He has shared a dressing room with players such as Mbappé , Messi , Neymar , Ribéry, or Robben , but he is not too proud to play for a humble club like Eibar, where he fit in wonderfully from day one and is now looking to recover his best form. Juan Bernat believes there is a squad to dream of great things and is not giving up on anything.

After a couple of seasons in which injuries have prevented him from having continuity, he has finally been able to have a proper preseason. How is he feeling?

My first goal was to be able to complete a full preseason. In a year and a half I have had two operations for pubalgia that have not allowed me to have continuity. I wanted to start training from the beginning so I could arrive in the best possible condition for the start of the league season, and I think I'm on the right track.

What were those months of training alone like as you recovered from the injury? Did the thought of quitting football ever cross your mind?

Difficult. I wanted to play football in Spain and my situation was complicated. I was sure I wasn't going to quit, but I didn't feel like going abroad either. At 32, I felt good. It's true that I had been unlucky with the two injuries; I knew I had to work very hard and keep myself in good physical shape to take advantage of the opportunity when it came, although competition is what gives you match rhythm, and no matter how hard you train alone, it's not the same as training with your teammates.

In those moments, you see who is really there.

I have always been clear about who my inner circle is: family and friends. When you play for big teams, people always come close to you, but I have a good eye for spotting that and I have not had any problems. I was in Valencia all that time, enjoying another aspect of life that I had not had for many years.

Football is also cruel because when you fall out of the cycle, it's not easy to get back in.

People forget about you when you’re out for a while. Eight months without competing was already a long time and I didn’t want to be out any longer. I wanted to get going again and find my rhythm so I could finish the season. When I arrived at Eibar I was unlucky because after my debut I injured my ankle. I came back two weeks later, but I wasn’t well and I had to stop again. I could only start two matches and I didn’t really get much rhythm either.

The money was not something that mattered to me because what I wanted was to play in Spain

He has started in the first three matchdays at a good level. How much does he have left to reach your best version?

I've felt good in these first two matches. Every day I'm getting better, with more rhythm and strength in my legs. I think I'm close to reaching 100% and hopefully I can keep enjoying football, which in the end is what I want.

He spent many years abroad and prioritized staying in Spanish football. Why did he choose Eibar?

The last pubalgia surgery coincided with the end of the season. I spent the whole summer recovering and the truth is that after all that, I didn't have many options in Spain either. When the possibility of coming to Eibar came up, I didn't think twice.

There are many players who, once they have won everything, as is his case, decide to go far away to earn a lot of money. In his case, it has been the opposite. In many places he could have a much higher salary than the one he has at Eibar.

I won many titles abroad, which was one of my goals. It is not easy to win titles because only a few teams do it, and in that respect I achieved it. I had been away from Spain for nine years and I had that lingering desire to enjoy football in my country. Money was not something that mattered to me because what I wanted was to be here.

How does a footballer switch their mindset from playing Champions League matches on the biggest stages to doing so in a division like the Segunda?

With humility. What I like is playing football and competing. It’s true that I’ve played for big teams and in European competitions, but now I’m really enjoying it here. Coming to train every day is a pleasure and hopefully we can achieve great things this season. I think we have a very good group.

At Eibar we are a group of friends and the atmosphere is incredible

Would he trade any of his 18 titles for promotion to the First Division with Eibar?

Without a doubt. For getting Eibar promoted to the First Division, I’d definitely trade some of them.

He has gone from being in a dressing room like Bayern's or PSG's to being in Eibar's. The differences must be considerable, right?

There are world-renowned players there, and it is not always easy to manage their egos. Moreover, in those teams there are many nationalities in the dressing room and sometimes, because of the languages, we do not all understand each other in the same way. Here we all speak Spanish, we all get along very well, and the atmosphere is incredible.

What would you highlight about Eibar?

We are a group of friends. We all get along well. We enjoy training and competing. The day I leave Eibar, I will take with me great friends and great people. It is a pleasure to share day-to-day life with my teammates, with the staff, with the sporting director and with the president. Eibar is a top club in that regard.

Do you come to value league titles at clubs like Bayern and PSG where everyone considers them champions from the very first matchday?

It is valued. We footballers compete to win titles. It’s true that with Bayern and PSG we were big favorites and dominated most matches, but of course you enjoy them. In football everything moves very fast and when I retire, I’ll be able to say that I’ve had a great career. I like playing football beyond whichever team I’m on and I think that essence is being lost today. Young people like it less and less. It’s true that football is becoming more and more physical. Fifteen years ago you saw lots of kids playing football in the street. Now there are many more distractions that don’t help either, and that’s what I miss.

Despite his list of honours, his relatively few international caps are striking. Do you think Spanish players are valued less when they are abroad?

You may not have as much visibility when you're outside Spain, but I'm proud of my eleven caps. Could I have been called up more times? Maybe so. But representing your country is one of the most beautiful things. In the national team there is a very high level, a lot of competition in every position, and it's difficult to make a squad.

Guardiola is the best coach in history; learning with him was a privilege

At your age and with all the experience you have, do you still get nervous before a match?

You always have that itch before a match to want to win and do well. Obviously, the pressure isn’t the same, but those nerves are always there the day before. The day all of that disappears, it will be time to call it quits.

Many children dream of becoming footballers, but very few actually make it. At what point did you feel that you could make a living from football?

Since I was 6 years old, I dreamed of becoming a footballer and I have done everything possible to achieve it, although there are always circumstances that can prevent it. In my mind, I was certain I was going to make it, although it isn't easy because many children want to be footballers and most of them don't achieve it. There has been a lot of effort behind it and I have always been very disciplined. When you have a passion for something and do everything possible to achieve it, you can make it.

He had the talent from the start, but how important were his parents on that journey through Valencia’s youth ranks?

“Very much. From the age of 6 until 18, they were the ones who took me to training sessions and matches. I’ve been very fortunate to have the parents I have, and I am partly a footballer thanks to them. They are the best parents in the world.”

He went from making his debut with Valencia to, in the space of two years, being in a dressing room like Bayern's. Everything happened very quickly. At any point, did they have to bring him back down to earth?

It wasn't necessary because of the way I had been brought up. I have always been very close to them and I had my head on straight. I never had any bad moments in that regard. Nor did they put much pressure on me about football. Nowadays you see some parents who are keener than their children on becoming footballers. In that respect I was lucky. They knew I liked football, they let me enjoy it and if one day they had to tell me I had done badly, they did.

I would trade some titles I’ve won to get promoted to the top division with Eibar

Did working with Guardiola change your way of understanding the game?

I had watched Pep’s Barcelona a lot because it is the kind of football I like the most. Trying to be superior to the opponent through control of the ball. The day-to-day with him in Munich was a privilege. For me, he is the best coach in history. Learning and training with him was a pleasure.

Do you see yourself as a coach in the future?

Until a few years ago I didn’t see myself doing it, but now that the end is approaching, although I hope I still have a few seasons left, I’m changing my mind. It may start to appeal to me. I’ll try to get my coaching license and give it a go. If I see that it doesn’t fully convince me, I’ll leave it because I like doing things if you feel passionate about them.

Messi, Mbappé, Neymar, Robben, Ribéry, Neuer... Few players can boast of having shared a dressing room with as many stars as you have. Is there anyone you're missing?

Cristiano is the one I'm missing, but I can be more than satisfied to have trained every day with all those players.

What is it like to share a team with Mbappé or Neymar?

When you overlap with them, many times you know they’re not going to pass you the ball, but you do it to draw a defender away from them so they have a better chance of seeing the goal. They’re players with a tremendous one-on-one ability, and it’s not that they don’t pass it to you because they don’t want to, but because it’s what’s best for the team. They’re not known for defending much, but between the holding midfielders and the defenders we balance that out a bit.

Those who have played with Messi say that what he does in training is more impressive than what he does in matches.

In training there are always smaller-sided matches, he gets on the ball more often and you see more repeated actions there. It’s unbelievable. He’s the best player in history and I don’t think we’re going to see another like him.

When he is on the field with players of that level, does he get to enjoy what they do as a spectator?

Yes, you enjoy it and you also have fun playing with them because they understand football, they hold on to the ball in difficult situations and they have the ability to decide matches.

At your age, does one think more about continuing to grow in every way or about maintaining one's level from one year to the next?

You always try to improve, but with age we’re going to decline. Nowadays all the physical data is measured, and if you’re not able to maintain that, it won’t be enough for you to compete because football has evolved a lot and you have to be very well prepared. We have many more resources to take care of ourselves. We are athletes and the goal is to have continuity and play as much as possible.

Does he take great care of himself off the field?

I have always really liked taking care of myself and training. I devote many hours to the gym. Genetics also help me and have been kind to me. In the end, I make a living from my body and I try to take care of myself as much as I can.