Watford were one of the three clubs to be promoted to the Premier League this season and Xisco Muñoz played a key role in helping the Hornets return to the top flight.
Xisco arrived at Vicarage Road in December 2020, before he was shown the exit door last month.
His compatriot, Ángel Aceña Rodriguez, followed Xisco to the English club and is still at Watford, working as the head rehab fitness coach, after Claudio Ranieri was appointed. El Mundo have published an interview with the fitness coach, where he explains his role at Watford.
“I do not go to away games or home games. My mission is the rehabilitation of injured players,” he said.
Prior to joining the London club, the Spaniard had stints at Sevilla, Costa Rica, Zambia and a few other countries.
On his journey before arriving in the Premier League, Aceña said: “Elite football is very beautiful, but it wears out a lot on a personal level. Being in the Premier League is a dream for any physical trainer. I’m lucky, but I’ve sacrificed and it takes a heavy toll.”
The Watford fitness specialist also gave his take on the difference between the top flight leagues in Spain and England.
“It is more demanding than La Liga physically and at the level of individual duels, [but] not so much in distance travelled and intensity,” he explained.
“The big leagues follow an even pattern, with 35/45 injuries per season in a high-level team. The more demanding football is, the more you demand on the body.”
Throughout his career, Aceña has played a vital role in rehabilitating injured players, and some of those cases have stayed in his memory.
“In the semi-finals of the Europa League, Michael [Krohn-Dehli], who was a great guy, suffered a fracture against Shakhtar. Later, [Benoît] Tremoulinas suffered a cartilage injury and had to work hard all year. In the end he had to retire,” Aceña added.
“The worst injuries are tendon or degenerative cartilage problems, which can force the player to retire.”
