Las Palmas GM explains the main mistakes journalists make – “They talk about their fears and phobias”
The gap between the media and football clubs continues to grow, perhaps towards an abyss, and shows no sign of being bridged. Gone are the days where executives and journalists would become drinking buddies, and sometimes it feels as if the two are pitted against each other. General Manager of Las Palmas Patricio Vinayo know both sides of the conversation though.
Initially studying journalism at university and featuring in El Pais in Madrid, Vinayo then returned to his native Gran Canaria to work in the local media. In 2006, he joined his club The Palms as Communications Director, before moving into his current role as General Manager in 2009. Football España asked what are the biggest mistakes the media make, seen from inside a club.
“First I talked about this to a colleague. I got my degree in journalism, and then in Physical Education, but everything you can learn from systematized education in the system has nothing to do with the actual experience. A when you face these problems, or working in a football business – imagine that all businesses have the same component – we suffer and enjoy in equal amounts at the same time: “
“What is the biggest mistake we make? This is a discussion that centers on the dichotomy between the emotional and the rational, very often the emotional takes us to the other side of the border. When we talk about teams that we feel something for, or that we support, the emotional over the rational. What they teach you when you learn about journalism, is to be objective, to try to be neutral and rational, this is something that is difficult, because when we talk about sport and football, there is a clash between the two.”
One of the key components of football journalism these days, something that has evolved over the last 20 years to fit the age of the internet and the 24-hour news cycle, was the simple need for news. constant
“Fans want to see passion. A lot is said between the games, between the final whistle of one match and the first whistle of another, but there is a lot of journalistic content between them, and a lot is said, but often, sometimes with the commercial side in mind. , this type of journalism is based on emotions. They talk about their fears and phobias, when they talk about their home club. Maybe that alters the reality a little, and distorts the things. When there is no news, sometimes they look for it, because every day the newspaper is sold, and people listen to the radio every day.
“However, I think that in Gran Canaria, I think that we live in a time, and have been for many years, where the world of journalism, our around, has been widely understood. They understand how small we are. We are just a small blob on the map in the middle of the vast ocean as a team. So with our modesty, using more imagination or creativity than financial resources, Las Palmas tries to find its way among the big-hitters, which has been dominated by two big transatlantic clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Equally, as difficult to behave rationally, marketing reasonable decisions as a way to put fans in the stadiums is not so easy. Las Palmas and Vinayo were ahead of their model of moves on the players and talents of the academy, but that can create problems. Ultimately, if the results are not there, and the football is not fun, the financial stability is rigid. How exactly does Las Palmas bridge that gap between allowing fans to dream, which is ultimately what football is all about, and sensible management?
“Leaders are always between the rational and the emotional. Rationality gives good results in the long term, it generates a conflict with the lovers, because on the one hand, sometimes they do not understand the decisions made through in the long run, but they prove to be the right ones.”
“We are a group of people in the club at the moment who know very clearly what is the danger of disappearing. We saw that threat and it was real for many years. So we know that the goal is sustainability. Without sustainability, it is impossible to think to greater challenges. For nine years, we were in the second division, with Miguel Angel Ramirez as president, we were in the third level, and for us we crossed the desert. We climbed and then in those nine years, we grew gradual and cohesive, facing many problems in terms of infrastructure, with many gaps, poor organization of human resources. We all did our part. We all tried to do a wide range of tasks.”
At least this season, finding the balance between providing excitement and making good decisions is not a problem for Las Palmas, with Garcia Pimient at the helm. After winning promotion last season, Las Palmas are on course to comfortably avoid relegation, with 15 points separating Pio Pio from the drop zone, and just nine games remaining. With a famous victory over Atletico Madrid, it is not a choice they had to make.
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