"A guy named Piqué arrived and I was told I would not play anymore"

In a few statements given to "Diario de Sevilla", football legend Juanito wanted to explain his departure from the Spanish national team, whom he represented 25 times, scoring three goals. 

Juanito was forced to stop wearing the famous red shirt of 'La Roja' due to injury, which also meant that he could not fulfill his lifelong ambition of playing for the Spanish national team at the Benito Villamarín stadium: "I would have loved to do it after years playing for the national side. I experienced many games and good moments, but that was the ultimate."

"Yes, I was present for the match against England at the Sanchez-Pizjuán, but I could not play. Earlier, we had played a derby against Seville, that we won 2-1 with Chapparro, I finished the game with irritation and the following day, we saw that I had broken something",he added.

"Because I was in Seville, I stayed in the camp, but I could not pull on the shirt. Then came Piqué, he made his debut, and then I was told that I would no longer play anymore", remembers Juanito. 

Furthermore, the Betis player wanted to talk about the great current form of the 'Verdiblanco', both in Europe and in Spain: "We have gone from facing Huachipato to PSG, with all due respect to Huachipato. Everything has come from economic and sporting growth, without money nothing would happen."

"Now they have the dream opportunity which we had with Lopera but failed to make the most of. We have the examples of Atlético and Seville, whose errors we can use to make ourselves learn and grow stronger", he said.