Augusto Batalla interview: The Rayo Vallecano goalkeeper on the UEFA Conference League final against Crystal Palace
Monday, May 25, 2026
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"We have to make the most of it," says Augusto Batalla as his Rayo Vallecano side look to complete an improbable dream and beat Crystal Palace in the UEFA Conference League final.
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In his second season at Rayo Vallecano after moving from his native Argentina, Augusto Batalla is living the dream, having helped to steer his side to the UEFA Conference League final against Crystal Palace.
Now the 30-year-old goalkeeper is hoping that his hard-learned philosophy of going with the flow, and the humility that comes with playing for down-to-earth Rayo, can help his side to achieve something astonishing in Leipzig.
On the benefits of acting naturally
I'm just the same person I was when I got here. This year, I've reached ten years in professional football with almost 300 games played, or even more. All that makes people get to know you more in terms of how you see and experience things, regardless of your current sporting situation. I always try to go in the same direction – the same principles, the same values and the same honesty. The most important thing for me is to be remembered as a good person rather than a good goalkeeper.
You always have to be down to earth here [at Rayo]. When I say I'm an ordinary person, I think about my father, who's always worked as a butcher, so I know what it's like to work hard, I have the street smarts and I know what it's like to live with the bare minimum. Now we're in a privileged position – that's our reality, unlike the reality of people in general – we still have the same principles no matter what our financial situation is like. And Vallecas is the perfect, ideal place for us to identify with what real life looks like, without a doubt. We all identify with the neighbourhood itself. That gives us heart or a way of looking at things compared to other clubs.
On the unique pressure of being a goalkeeper
When I was younger, it was quite a lot harder for me to take everything in because I felt I wasn't allowed to make a mistake. And when you think and you feel that, you only end up making more mistakes. When you go with the flow and stay calm, everything comes much more naturally, and that lets you make better decisions whenever you go onto the pitch.
[The issue of mental health in sport is] very important for me. When you make it to the top flight at 16, 17, 18, 19, or whatever, no one prepares you to be mentally ready for everything you'll face or for the pressure you'll feel. So, personally, I've suffered from it. I've worked on it with my psychologist for many years and now that I have a few more grey hairs and I'm a bit older, I can take everything in [my] stride.
The media and social media can cause a lot of damage – people hiding behind their screens and giving their opinions about kids when they make a mistake. We have to understand that behind that player, that superstar that everyone sees, there's a person.
On making it to the final
It's starting to sink in that we're going to have the chance to play in a final. Doing so with this club isn't easy at all, given all the day-to-day demands and all the difficulties we face. We're a group of relatively senior players, by European standards; in fact, we're the squad with the oldest players, and that means we've been through a lot in our lives.
After the referee blew the whistle [in the semi-final against Strasbourg] and we knew we were on our way to Leipzig, there was a bit of a sense of relief, of saying: "Well, we've got this far," but I also saw something in the group that I loved, and that's the feeling that the job isn't finished yet. That's very important ahead of the match against Crystal Palace.
When you get the chance – because there are plenty of people out there who go their whole careers without ever playing in a final – we have to make the most of it. There's no doubt it's my best sporting moment. I feel great physically, I feel great mentally, I'm in top form and hopefully I can finish the year in the best possible way and see what the future holds for the coming years.
On his feeling ahead of the decider in Leipzig
Honestly, I'm taking it very calmly, really calmly; I'll work in the same way I've been doing all this time, and I'll try, even if just for a split second, to take the time to enjoy it, because being there and having the chance for my family to be there, for my children to experience this, is something wonderful.
This interview was conducted on 9 May 2026
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