It was back in June 2020 when the Betis striker, Borja Iglesias, began to paint his nails before games. And it wasn’t long after that, when the first tweet dropped.
‘What the hell is this?’ posted one researcher. Iglesias replied: ‘I have no problem explaining it to you. It’s my way of raising awareness and fighting racism, and I think it works against homophobia too.”
Three years later, it has become his trademark. The black varnish was an act of solidarity with those who were protesting the murder of George Floyd a month earlier in Minneapolis. Later the protest became multicolored by also talking about homophobia in soccer.
“When the Black Lives Matter protests started, I did it to be aware of it,” he says. “Certain things have been normalized that we should not accept as normal.
‘People close to me said certain things and I thought: we have to correct this. I painted them black at first, then I changed it, and now I do it more because I like it.
Real Betis star Borja Iglesias (right) is a striker of a striker who will be looking to make a big impact when the Spanish side take on Manchester United at Old Trafford on Thursday.
The Betis star started painting his nails before matches three years ago, which he says helps raise awareness against racism and homophobia, and has become his trademark.
The black varnish was like an act of solidarity with those who were protesting the murder of George Floyd
There may be a price to pay for thinking outside the box. He is told to “stick to football” as often as Marcus Rashford, whom he admires and hopes to face at Old Trafford.
He hasn’t let that stop him from talking. Of gay footballers who can be open about his sexuality, she says: ‘In women’s football it’s totally normal. I think that’s the direction we’re moving in. We have a new generation that comes with a much more open mind.’
About Thursday’s rival, Rashford, Iglesias is a fan of the player and the person: “He can play in many ways,” he says. ‘He is physical but he is very skilled. He can run back, he scores goals. And he’s very important in the way he plays his team right now.
And off the field he is an example to follow. He is not afraid of taking a position on the issues and giving visibility to social causes.
“And she’s someone who isn’t afraid to show her tastes, she likes fashion, she doesn’t mind going on the catwalk, if that’s what she wants to do, she does it.”
As for sticking to soccer, he says: ‘When I limit myself, I feel worse on the pitch, like having my focus so fixed solely on soccer isn’t healthy. I think of other things and when I return to football I do so with a clearer head.
His head has been very clear this season: there was a clamor for him to be included in Luis Enrique’s World Cup squad last November that was ultimately ignored. But he is currently the second Spanish striker with the most goals in the League.
It hasn’t always been easy: four years ago, Rashford scored when Manchester United beat Celta Vigo in a Europa League semi-final and Iglesias watched from the stands as a B-team player.
“There was a moment in my third year out of four at Celta B when I thought: well, maybe this is my level.
‘Not getting to the top too fast helps you keep things in perspective: it wasn’t that long ago that I was playing on courses that were ankle deep in mud.’
Now it’s United in Europe and it can’t wait. They are my first memory of English football. I’m not sure if it was because of Eric Cantona or David Beckham. They were the ones that had the greatest impact in Spain when I was a child.’
Chelsea’s Didier Drogba was also someone he watched closely. “He was strong but also very good with his feet,” he says.
Iglesias is looking forward to taking on Marcus Rashford, who he is a fan of on and off the pitch.
“He was very good with his back to the goal, good in space, he pressed, he won in the air despite not being so tall. I also loved Ruud Van Nistelrooy because of his finishing ability.
When it comes to seizing chances, a thinking footballer shouldn’t think too much on the pitch.
‘This year I had two very similar examples: one where I scored and the other where I almost tripped over the ball. And the difference was thinking too much.
‘In the first, the defender was chasing me and I thought: where is he? How do I protect the ball? And I scored.
And there is another, against Atlético de Madrid when I pass and I am completely alone running towards Jan Oblak and I am thinking: do I pass him or do I hit him with the inside of my left foot? and there is a moment when he left the ball behind.
I’m at my best when everything flows. I usually take a moment before warming up when I do a bit of meditation, as much as you can because you’re in a busy locker room when there’s music playing and everyone has their own ritual.
I try to give myself a couple of minutes to breathe easy and think: I’m going to play another great game. And that works for me because if I go back five years I would be desperate to be in this situation.
The added incentive on Thursday will be the trophy at the end of the line if Betis can progress. It would be only the fifth in the club’s history and would lead to another famous game.
“When we won the Copa del Rey last season it was on a Saturday and we didn’t have another league game for nine, 10 days it was fantastic,” he says.
The Betis Iglesias striker is the second top Spanish scorer in LaLiga so far this season
Iglesias was part of Real Betis that won the Copa del Rey last season
‘Three days later, I went out. So we had to focus again. There was a game coming up and the manager asked us to calm down a bit!
Thursday’s first leg comes first and if he can change a shirt at the end it will be Rashford’s.
‘If I get the chance, I’ll ask. I guess he will be one of the most requested. You have to be fast. When Alex Moreno was here (now at Aston Villa) he was so fast that you asked for one and realized that he had already asked for it in the warm-up.
You will enjoy it no matter what. “When the draw was done, some of my teammates said: oh no, United are going to be difficult,” he says. “I thought: yes, it’s difficult, but how fantastic to play at Old Trafford.”