The Gran Canarian forward Yéremy Pino, recently crowned world champion with Spain, asserts that his next goal is to win the Champions League, the only continental title he lacks at club level.
The Gran Canarian footballer Yéremy Pino, who has just been crowned world champion with the Spanish national team, is already focused on the next big challenge: conquering the Champions League. The 23-year-old Crystal Palace forward confessed on Monday that winning the Champions is “the only title I have left in Europe at club level” and that he has marked it as a priority objective.
Pino was received on Monday by the President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, and the Councillor for Education and Sports, Poli Suárez, at an event where the player from the La Feria neighbourhood of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria expressed pride in representing his homeland. “I believe I will continue working to win more titles, and that is what has brought me here today,” he stated before the journalists.
The forward, who plays in the English Premier League and will compete in the Europa League with his club next season, assured that his family instilled in him a competitive spirit and ambition from a young age. “They taught me to be competitive, to fight for my dreams,” he recalled. Pino left home at just 13 years old to pursue his football career, and he considers that the World Cup victory is a reflection of all that effort and his family's sacrifice.
With the world title, Yéremy Pino's name joins that of three other Canarians who achieved the same feat: the Tenerife-born Pedri, who also lifted the World Cup last Sunday, and legends Pedro Rodríguez and David Silva, champions in 2010. “I get goosebumps just thinking that there are four players and what four players they are… It’s an honour to be on the same level as Pedrito and Silva,” he said excitedly.
Pino could only play 68 minutes in the World Cup, spread over two matches. In the match against Uruguay, he suffered a blow to the collarbone that prevented him from playing the rest of the tournament, although he was able to stay with the group as it was not a serious injury and he was available for emergency minutes. Despite this setback, the forward takes away an experience he describes as “incredible” and that has helped him grow as a footballer.
The Crystal Palace player does not hide his desire to continue making history. At 23 years old, he has a promising career ahead of him and the Champions League presents itself as the next step. “That is a goal I have,” he insisted, making it clear that his ambition does not stop after the World Cup success.
Pino's visit to the Canary Islands institutions also served to highlight the talent of the region. President Clavijo emphasized the importance of players like him and Pedri carrying the name of the Canary Islands around the world. For his part, Councillor Poli Suárez underscored the example of overcoming that they represent for the youth of the islands.
Next season, Pino will face the Europa League with Crystal Palace, a competition he already knows and in which he hopes to shine to later make the leap to the top continental competition. In the meantime, the forward continues to work with his eyes set on that dream: lifting the Orejona.
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