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With 15 years of professionalism, Jaime Grondona (33) has just started a new cycle in his career. The Chilean striker left the country and traveled to Europe last Monday: There he signed a contract with Atletic Escaldes of the First Division of Andorra. “I am very motivated,” he says in conversation with AS. The U20 World Cup with the Red (2007) was recommended by two other Chileans, and was officially presented this afternoon. “Football gives you these possibilities and you have to take advantage of them,” he says. Grondona fulfills a dream.
“My arrival was conceived thanks to Nicolás Medina, friend and teammate of the National Team (Inter Escaldes forward). I talked to him and he told me that the Atletic Escaldes club was looking for a ‘9’. He made contact with Guillermo Burgos, who is the club’s goalkeeper coach. He is Chilean and has been here for many years. Then I spoke with Mr. Luis Blanco and we began to fine-tune the details to see if he could travel ”, Grondona explains.
– Didn’t it cost you to leave Chile?
– I had no problems because my wife and daughter have community passports. With the contract, we were able to prove that we were only passing through Spain, and that we were going to Andorra. In Santiago they controlled us a lot and verified the documents before taking the flight. They were rigorous.
– There he will rival his friend Nicolás Medina …
– Nico Medina’s club is our classic rival in the league. We will be rivals, and we will play the derby because we are in the same city. They are small places, they are called parishes. Nicolás has been around for a long time. He has a very quiet life. He has rendered and has shown his quality. He tells me that the competition has grown, and that is interesting. I’m very motivated to go back to racing because last year I didn’t have much continuity at La Serena.
– Is it a rebirth?
– Football gives you these possibilities and you have to take advantage of them. I hope to help the team, which has very important goals. President Antonio is very involved with the team. At first I had taken it easy, because I knew it was difficult to leave Chile, but luckily it turned out. I showed up to train on Wednesday and I have already had three trainings. On the weekend we played a friendly at soccer practice and I scored a goal. I really wanted.
– Was it a debt to play in another country?
– Yes, I always tried. This will be my first experience abroad. Due to football circumstances, performance and options to stay in Chile, it did not happen before. But it came at this point and I feel good. I am at a good age, because here they value experience very much. I feel like I can contribute a lot to a league that is growing. I am focused on performing at this club, because it opened the doors for me. I hope I will be champion and reach the pre Champions League or pre Europa League. There are the quotas and it could be given.
– Was the quality of life also decisive in the decision?
– The first was due to a sports decision. But it is also true that we came for a family project. My daughter is 5 years old and she will be able to study here. Education is free. It is quiet, safe and orderly. We have all the guarantees with the health issue. That influences, and comes hand in hand with football. Will I be around friends? Of course, Rodrigo (Gattas) is in Azerbaijan, ‘Mota’ (González) is doing the coaching course and it has gone well for him. We will be close and at some date we will meet. It’s the complete pack, and I just have to worry about giving up.
