Zou Feddal has done an interview today with Radio Betis. The Moroccan defender has spoken about the surgery in the Achilles tendon that he underwent yesterday.

Operation: “I’m very happy, everything worked well. Now I hope to be doing the recovery soon so I can start feeling better.”

Recovery process: “I’ll have a cast on for around 40 days. Then we’ll have to take a look at the scar to make a new assessment, but I won’t be able to move my leg. We’ll see how it goes after that.”

State of mind: “I’m always good and happy whatever happens. I don’t lose my happiness. This is just another challenge, like playing a game. A game that will last for I don’t know how long, but I’ll face it with eagerness, excitement, and commitment to overcome it.”

Return to the pitch: “I’ll do whatever is at my grasp to recover in the best possible way and the sooner I can, but the most important thing is to recover well. We don’t know how long will it be. I’ll do all I can.”

Pain in the Achilles tendon in the past: “It was never an extreme pain, just like any other pain every player feels now and then. We all play in pain, it’s difficult to find a player who doesn’t. This year the pain grew bigger. That’s why I was out for almost two months, because the pain continued growing. I recovered and I was feeling much better, hut this is the way football is. When I wasn’t feeling pain anymore, it broke, but it held up when it was hurting. This is part of the job.”

Moment of the injury: “When I stepped on the pitch, I felt like I was hit by a rock from behind. I tried to take another step but the foot couldn’t take it. When I fell down I knew I was injured.”

Is this your hardest moment as a player?: “It’s hard, but it was harder to play without being paid or not having anything to eat.”

The fans chanted your name: “I raised my arm as a gesture of thankfulness. I felt really emotional because the fans have always been amazing with me. I try to do my job and help Betis grow and give the fans what they deserve.”

Love from the fans: “It’s not just towards myself, my family has received it to. When I was about to enter the operating room, 12 fans came to the hospital to see me and my wife started to cry. She told me she had never seen people loving me so much for my job. I also want to thank all the support messages received from the fans. I read them, but I can’t answer all of them. They give me strength and I’ll overcome this, for sure.”

Support messages from other players: “I spoke to Asenjo and he has been amazing with me. He’s helping me with this situation. He’s told me to be strong, he’s an amazing guy. Jordi Alba called me too to give me support. Xavi Torres also went through this injury and has been talking to me. Some of Levante players, almost everyone in Alavés as well. Eric Bailly played with me at Espanyol B, and he called me, too. I’ve felt a lot of love. That’s the target, to have a good relationship between us all.”

Russia World Cup: “The main thing is health. When I fell to the ground I though about the World Cup. I though about it, but when my family came the first thing I thought was about coming back, about getting a good recovery, playing again, training with my teammates, about feeling a player again. That’s my target. It’s painful to miss the World Cup, obviously. Morocco has spent 20 years without taking part in a World Cup. But it is what it is. If I think about that, I’m going to get annoyed, so better not. Let’s hope the ones who go can do a good tournament so the whole country can be happy.”

The fans think you cannot be replaced: “It was a coincidence about the bad results. I don’t think I can’t be replaced. It’s not true. With me on the pitch we have also conceded five, it doesn’t mean a thing. We all defend and we all attack. We all win and we all lose. There’s no one more important than another at Betis. We are all the same and we train to win. The team went a bad streak in the first round and I’m certain that it won’t happen again because we learnt from that.”

Marc Bartra: “I think we signed a great player. Bartra has a lot of experience. He’s always looking after his teammates, he’s shown it. He’s been just for four or five days at Betis and he’s really involved. He’s a great guy. We all know him as a player. If he has played in the national team, at Barcelona, at Dortmund, is because he has quality enough to succeed. He’ll do great at Betis and I wish him all the best. Let’s hope he’ll be here for many years.”

Next season: “I’m going to work hard to live up to Betis and make a great year. Now I wish for the team to finish well the season. The know how to do it. They are in a good moment and I’m sure they’ll make a great second round.”