PFA names Borja Sainz in the Championship team of the year 2024/25 | OneFootball

Borja Sainz welcomed a film crew from England’s Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) into his home, where he was presented with the award for being named in the 2024/25 Championship Team of the Year, at a time when he was playing for Norwich City. The FC Porto player opened the doors of his home and shared some details about his routine.

“It was a beautiful season, I had a very good season. And, in the end, the fact that the players I played against voted for me is special, you know why? Because it shows that you did things well and that it was a good season. I think that when you make your debut so young, in the end you don’t realize what you have, do you? And I think everything I’ve done in my career has helped me mature and understand that it’s not just about having qualities or talent or other things. In the end, I think it goes beyond football, you know? Because I think that, as a person, I’ve actually grown and understood a lot of things. For example, the importance of food, nutrition, rest... I think that’s the most important thing. You end up realizing that by making mistakes, but I think it’s worth going through that process and I’m very happy with the progress I’ve made. Those who don’t make mistakes don’t learn. I think that’s very important for me, and I’ll keep making mistakes. And when I’m 30, well, I’ll still make mistakes, but I think that’s part of learning,” Borja Sainz began, thanking them for the award, before highlighting the importance of diet: “When I came to FC Porto I told my agent that I wanted a chef. I wanted to have a chef to take care of my diet and not have to cook my own food. And I think in the end it’s the most practical thing, because I come back from training — it’s true that I eat at the club — but then, at dinner time, I have all the guidelines for what I need to eat. And I think that’s very, very important. Does it help me perform better? Yes. Well, in England I also had a nutritionist who told me what to eat, but I think having a chef at home is different, isn’t it?”

Borja Sainz also spoke about the equipment he has available for physical recovery and to get onto the pitch in the best possible condition: “I have the Normatec [hyperbaric chamber], the basics, and then I have a recovery chamber that I started using in England, because there are so many matches and rest and recovery are very important. And this year I brought it here as well. And I have the sauna and the ice bath. I’m going to try to use it as much as possible, but there are days when I miss it because I get back late or have things to do. I got it not long ago, but I try to use it every day, for an hour or half an hour. It helps with everything, especially recovery. I believe that in the end it’s about repetition. It’s not like going in there will make you run more, but maybe it helps a little.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.