It is said that good things come to those who wait. That could not be truer for Nono whose face was a picture of happiness in this mornings training session after having played in an official competition for the first time this season. www.realbetisbalompie.es caught up with him this afternoon. Until yesterday, the midfielder from Cadiz was the only player who had not participated in an official match under the command of Pepe Mel. Yesterday's match against Vitória Sport Clube gave him that opportunity. With great composure in the midfield, Nono showcased his potential making sure non of his qualities were left unseen; he provided speed to the driving force behind the team. His confidence has not diminished one iota since the last time he played an official match. The same can be said off the pitch. Answering the questions with clarity, Nono climbed on board the boat. A boat that he shall make every effort not to abandon, without fear of his competition in the midfield.

First performance in a match this season. His happy face says it all.
I think I did well. My team mates were very helpful and they spurred me on. They told me to keep cool and do my thing.

No one would say it was your first match. You were very comfortable in midfield.
All I do is adapt to the team. We played a very complete match. I'm training well and I felt at ease on the pitch. Things went well, so I'm very happy.

Your character will have kept you from losing hope and to be strong psychologically. How have these months been for you?
It has been a little harsh. I was not used to not playing for so long, but there are lessons to be learned in everything. I have to look at the positive things. Now we have to keep on working and looking at what is ahead of us.

With so much competition in the midfield, it is difficult to get a match time. Pepe Mel commented that it was a very long season and all players would have a chance to vindicate themselves.
As the boss said, everyone will have their chance. All 25 of us have played. My chance came a little later than the others, but the boss has given me a vote of confidence and I have every intention of making the most of it. I know there is a lot of competition for my position, but that motivates me to keep working harder.

The fact that the manager of the squad is the same manager who gave you your debut will have helped to not throw in the towel. Yesterday he admitted he was happy with you and that your work was getting better and better.
The boss knows what I can give, and I knew I would get the chance even though I had to wait. I will continue to work and hope that the boss keeps giving me the chance to play when he thinks it's appropriate.

Yesterday you boarded the Betis train so now you will be wanting to play against Atletico Madrid.
Of course, I would love to. It's a good match, I also grew up in the ranks at Atletico. It's always a good game, against a team that is in spectacular form at the moment.

You even dared to heal the ball from time to time...
I guess it was the only way to find space on the wing. I took some risks, but it paid off. - laughter.

Our priority is still the League, but yesterday we found the Europa League to be a special titbit too.
The main objective is the League, we have to focus on that first. The Europa League is a gift that we want to make the most of. If we continue like this, it could be an important sideline. It's a good competition and worth going for. The further you get, the better.

The manager opted for a different tactic yesterday, a Betis who waited for their opponents in their half. It seems to have worked.
It was a complicated match but we came out on top. The team is working better. It is true that he had to change some things to not concede so many goals. We talked about it with the boss and yesterday we played in a different way. The game helped us gain confidence for the games to come; they are going to be very difficult.

Specifically, what happened to the team in recent league games?
When the ball doesn't want to go in the net it won't. We didn't play that badly. I didn't think the team was as bad as people were making out. We weren't scoring any goals, that's true. I hope we win the next match and our forwards' confidence increases.

A win at Vicente Calderon will help confidence tremendously in the forthcoming matches...
There are some tough matches coming up against Atletico Madrid, Valencia and Malaga. We must concentrate and work hard to get all the points we can, and with that the confidence to climb up the table.

Alvaro Vadillo, your friend and team mate, scored a spectacular goal yesterday...
You know when he is on form, concentrated, he makes a difference. I am very happy because he deserves it. To hear people catcalling a nineteen-year-old is not nice. It's not nice for a thirty-year-old either. I'm happy for him because he works hard. I hope it's the first of many".