In May 2020, the doctors diagnosed the Mallorcan footballer Virginia Torrecilla a brain tumor. A little later, the mother of the captain of the Spanish national soccer team also landed after a traffic accident in a wheelchair.
more on the subject
Over the turbulent past few years, the 28 year old from Cala Millor has now written a book: “Nadie se arrepiente de ser valiente” (No one regrets being brave, Delecé, 16 euros). The Atlético Madrid midfielder has since returned to the pitch, but can’t play that muchas she would like.
How did the title of your book come about?
When I was sick in bed, I saw a series about a cancer patient. He asked himself to be brave at every moment. Because one day maybe fear would catch up with him. I could identify with this train of thought and have taken it as a motto for my recovery. That’s how I wanted to tackle problems. When I was looking for a title, I went back to it. Before the illness, there were some things I didn’t do that I later regretted. Since I’ve been healthy again, it’s different.
How did the idea of writing a book come about?
I’ve always loved reading and writing. Writing helps me express emotions and it relieves me. It may seem strange to some people, but sharing my thoughts helps me overcome problems.
How does that go? Aren’t you pretty down when you’re writing?
Sure, of course. Some of the lines I wrote made me howl like a fox. Some chapters made me heartache. But these are the passages that I feel are the best in the book. I hope readers can put themselves in my shoes. Of course there were also beautiful moments that I wanted to share.
You are very active on social media. Recently you wrote there: “Nothing is happening, everything is fine, rest, allow yourself to make mistakes and improve.” Did you suffer a setback?
I’m doing well. Honestly. It’s uphill every day. But I’m fighting to be a new Virginia and to take back some of the things that cancer stole from me. I’m having a really hard time gaining weight and building muscle mass. These are actually simple things that now represent major hurdles for me. There’s still a long way to go before I can enjoy football like I used to.
In an earlier interview you talked about being afraid of headers. Is that one of those hurdles?
I’m afraid of the check-up appointments with the doctor, where they’ll see if the tumor is coming back. It’s coming up again soon and every day it gets closer the jitters grow. When I finished chemotherapy and all the trappings and got back on the soccer field, banging my head against the ball felt weird at first. I was worried that I might get dizzy or something bad would happen. But now I’m doing better in that regard. I go into head duels without thinking too much. But it’s not quite like it used to be. It will be some time before these concerns are completely resolved.
How much have you changed in the past three years?
Completely! I used to rarely think about things and was pretty crazy. I’ve grown up in leaps and bounds, had to learn the hard way. I see life with different eyes now, in a better way I think. For that I am even grateful to the disease.
Before that you were a regular. How do you deal with the fact that you keep finding yourself on the bench?
I’d like to lie to you and say it doesn’t matter to me. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Life puts stones in my way. When I thought I was over the worst, I now have to face it. Football is everything to me and I can’t deal with the situation. I was always a regular player in all my clubs. Even now I see myself in good shape, but I’m just sitting on the bench. Bloody hell! I beat cancer, my mother survived a bad accident. I have to be able to take this hurdle and not throw in the towel.
Are you physically back to where you were before you got cancer?
I’m still five pounds short of muscle mass and I’m not at 100 percent yet. But I’m ready to play. I can feel my skills coming back: my shot on goal, the long passes, my pace. I’m still going to fine-tune that.
You left the island at the age of 17, lived in Barcelona and Montpellier and now live in Madrid. Are you homesick after all the incidents?
Absolutely. As a teenager I didn’t give it much thought. I was fine and so was my family – it didn’t matter that I lived so far away. Now I am specifically looking for proximity to my island and my family. I don’t think my return home is too far away. That gives me courage.
But for that there would have to be a professional women’s team on the island.
I would pay all the money in the world to play on Mallorca. And I’m not the only one. I’ve discussed the subject many times with Mallorcans Patricia Guijarro and Mariona Caldentey, who play with me on the national team. We would love to play together at an island club that really believes in women’s football. Mallorca has produced many good players. It is a pity that everyone had to seek happiness far away.
Does it make you sad to see how your hometown club Collerense is now struggling in the fourth division?
Above all, I find it sad that women’s football in Mallorca is not yet as important as it should be. With the third division club Atlético Baleares, at least one team with reasonable youth work is trying to do so. Collerense just gets worse every year. The club once gave so many girls the joy of football. It would also be nice if Real Mallorca got involved in this direction. They used to have a women’s team but it was disbanded. With the standing that Real Mallorca has on the island, that would be a big boost.
