Baena: 'The World Cup changed me' after a difficult first season

Álex Baena reflects on why he failed to perform last season — injury, surgery, appendicitis — and how regular football and the World Cup title changed his mindset. He admits he still hasn't taken in being a world champion.

Rubén Uría poses the question many Atlético fans had been asking: where did the switch flip to produce the Baena we are now seeing, the one for whom everything is coming off?

In his interview with Cadena SER, Álex explains that he had a couple of good months last season, but setbacks kept piling up: he had never been injured or undergone surgery before, and both happened at Atleti; he then suffered appendicitis and dragged a string of minor physical problems along with him. He describes himself as a player whose lack of confidence shows very clearly, and when it goes, nothing goes right for him.

The turning point was the World Cup. Playing every two or three days did him good both physically and mentally, and winning the tournament while feeling like an important part of the team changed everything. Even so, he confesses he still hasn't grasped what he has achieved: when friends and family remind him he is a world champion, he believes it will take time to sink in.

Rubén Uría closes by highlighting that the tournament has given him a huge boost in confidence and that a completely different Baena is now on show.