Campaña: “Deserving a Spot in Europe Would Be Justified”

Campaña: “Deserving a Spot in Europe Would Be Justified” Andalusian midfielder to face Barça after battling injuries and rediscovering his form at Las Palmas “I think Araujo will have many years of good football at Barça,” stated Campaña In life, it’s not about counting how many times you fall but how many times you get back up. José Gómez Campaña (Seville, 1993) has had to start over too many times. Injuries have plagued him since 2020, marking the beginning of his ordeal. What was initially a significant muscle injury, the most severe since fracturing his fifth metatarsal ten years prior, turned into the start of a long and grueling journey. Setbacks, more muscle injuries, and finally, a cruciate ligament rupture. Today, on the brink of facing Barça at Montjuïc, those are things of the past. Football is smiling at him again. His contract with Levante expired last summer, and he prepared physically like never before to seize any opportunity that came his way. Las Palmas answered the call in January, offering him the chance to feel like a footballer again, and Campaña is making the most of it.

The Andalusian midfielder, who until recently had Sevilla and Atlético Madrid closely monitoring him, has already played three games for the island team, putting in good performances and once again feeling like a footballer. He’s proving that he’s in good shape and that injuries are a thing of the past.

Promising Start He arrived to regain rhythm and sensations, and that’s precisely what he’s doing, under a coach who has placed his trust in him and in a team that perfectly complements his style of play. “Las Palmas offers me the chance to feel like a player again after so much time out due to injury. It’s a club where I can find the minutes I’ve been seeking after ten months on the sidelines. A club that, by the way, is doing things very well, with a style of play that fits perfectly with mine and with a coach who is very clear about how he wants his team to play,” Campaña told SPORT just before signing for the club.

The team’s high level wouldn’t be possible without the figure of García Pimienta, who has elevated the team “to another level”: “He’s a coach with a very clear idea of the game, extensive football knowledge, and he sticks to his ideas to the end. He’s helping take the team where it’s going. The work he’s doing is very good. The goal of avoiding relegation is very close. Qualifying for Europe would be justified.”

Julian, a Special Full-back To edge closer to European positions, UD Las Palmas has no choice but to secure good results again. Who knows if it will happen at Montjuïc, where they will face a rising Xavi Hernández-led Barça. “Xavi’s Barça has very good players. As Barça has always done, they are relying on many youth academy graduates. Economic circumstances have also forced them to do so, but the truth is that the young players are responding well, they have adapted quite well. In the end, Xavi had to adapt to the circumstances. We always think of Xavi as the player who will take the team to the level he played at, but circumstances have led him to have to adapt,” Campaña pointed out.

For the match against Barça, García Pimienta won’t be able to count on Julián Araujo, loaned by the Catalan club, due to the fear clause. Campaña also wanted to talk about him. He sees a future for him, especially at Camp Nou: “If Barça decided to sign Araujo, it’s for a reason. He’s a very young player, with a lot of talent, and a long career ahead of him. If he stays focused on sports and works as he should, I believe he will have many years of good football at Barça.”

We’ll see what role José Campaña plays in the Montjuïc duel. Regardless, facing the Blaugrana again is like starting over for the Andalusian midfielder. He smiles in Las Palmas, and Las Palmas smiles back.