Alert, determined, persuasive without raising his voice, and open-minded. As mediator in a universe of sharp egos and irreconcilable ideas, he has become accustomed to the suspicions raised by those in ancient Europe who, like himself, seem smarter than others. salvador marti (Alicante, 1978) had an intuition five years ago and today, just one step away from LaLiga, he is closer than ever to making it happen.
The year of truth for Intercity?
Every year was important, every season we grow and advance in the category to reach professional football. The club was established for this purpose from day one. We are now one step away from this goal. And yes, we can say that this year is the most important.
What would you highlight about the line-up created?
I think we’re lucky to have great rosters every year. But I think we’ve taken one more step this season. We have at least two players who can be starters for each position. There is a lot of competition for all positions. Competition is good because it does not satisfy any player.
Do you bother or are happy that Intercity is being talked about as a clear favorite for promotion?
It certainly satisfies me. This is always our goal. I don’t understand playing a competition where the goal isn’t to win. Then football puts everyone in their place. But we like to play with that pressure.
“I think Hércules and Intercity reaching the First Division would be a good sporting option for the city.”
Has this Intercity demonstrated that existence is superior to humans?
Of course. The club is above everything. Even on me. I am the first person to not want to sustain myself in the office. With renewed ambitions, new blood must come at some point.
Beyond going public, what are you most proud of as the founder of the club?
After reaching all the milestones we have set in the roadmap. Seeing that the shield and colors we created from scratch represent the city and province for Spain. It is a privilege for Intercity to be one of the representatives of the province for the country. We proudly carry that flag.
Did it bother you that Quique Hernández joked that the club had set himself the goal of promotion to the Second Division in his first year in the third national category?
Quique is a friend of mine and he understands football. But when we said what we were going to do five years ago, a lot of people said it was a clown… and so did we. We went public in 5 years, 4 were promoted. This is Intercity, we think big things can happen by dreaming big.
Too much pressure right off the bat or a way to make sense of life?
Maybe it’s a way of understanding life. I’ve always preferred to set myself ambitious goals, if we can achieve them, great; and if not, the only thing we are not afraid of is failure. We’re just afraid to set easy goals.
«Alicante needs a top-notch team and a project that unites us all, not divides us»
How do you view the Intercity course?
I am sure it will be a difficult year full of tears and joy. But there is a huge community of people. And they have the same or greater ambitions as mine.
In your experience, what factors are always repeated in sporting success?
I think good players win games, but good players with good atmosphere win championships. A big part of that mistake lies in the locker room. It is difficult for a player to join a team without a background and soon feel part of it. Our dressing room has always been one big family. And that always adds points.
Have you ever thought that Hercules and Intercity should come together after your team’s rise? Has it ever been seriously considered? Was it really a reasonable option?
Of course I did, and I still think it would be a good sporting option for the city. Under one strong brand, the entire city united to create a sustainable club in the Premier League. And not just in football. There are examples to admire, such as Alavés, which has football and basketball. Unity is the strength of the city. Alicante needs a team in the First Division and a project that unites us all. I will always be mindful of what might be good for the elite sport in the city.
Did Alicante behave well against Intercity?
We don’t think about what the city can do for us, but what we can do for the city. Filling a stadium and the love of people is earned match by match and season by season by doing everything well. We are on the right track. We are happy to be in and from Alicante.
Intercity is an example…
So you can get everything from scratch. That a club can be financed and grown with the help of everyone, not with the help of a single person. I think this is the future of football.