Pablo Giralt He is lucky, privileged, he works at what he loves. And on the other hand, thanks to his talent, effort and dedication, he has stood out as one of the best exponents in his profession.
Their stories constituted the soundtrack of one of the greatest collective joys that Argentina experienced throughout this century. Giralt showed that a microphone worker can be moved and excited like any of us. In Qatar he knew glory. Now bet again on the great illusion.
The man who knew how to transform the cabins of the world’s stadiums into his office, never gives up passion. That contagious enthusiasm is manifested in his meeting with NOTICIAS in an imposing room of a hotel in the Retiro area where this interview takes place.
News: We have World Cup expectations, until now, the only country that was able to win two consecutive championships was Brazil in 1958 and 1962. How do you see Argentina, is it up to the feat?
Pablo Giralt: I always see Argentina in a good light. The championships are extremely difficult, becoming world champion is very complicated, if you go back to ’78 and what we had to go through to become champions: a shot on the post, going to extra time and finally beating Holland was tremendous. Look at what happened in Mexico 86, winning 2 to 0, reaching a 2 to 2 and suffering until we were champions, or what happened in this last World Cup in Qatar, we did everything well, but we had to go through penalties against the Netherlands and only win in that instance after we subdued France for seventy minutes. I have a lot of faith in Argentina, Scaloni, Messi and the entire group, of course, then there will be the amount of luck that is always necessary in a tournament like this.
News: Could Messi’s age be a conditioning factor?
Giralt: Age is a conditioning factor for certain players, I think Messi is outside that range. Those who are from another galaxy, another planet, those who have a level like yours and are unique and unrepeatable have a license. Furthermore, as a matter of how he has taken care of himself throughout his career to stay current and even improve, his circumstances make him an exceptional case. He has the sacred fire, you can see it in his eyes, he retains an impressive desire to win. You can tell when he gets angry, when he argues, there is the amateur spirit that Leo has, which is why it is very hopeful that we will reach this World Cup with him like this.
News: Going more personally, this is your sixth World Cup. Take care of Macaya Márquez!
Giralt: (Laughs) Yes, this is my sixth, all the World Cups were different experiences. Last World Cup I worked for Public TV and it was great for us. The process began with the Qualifiers on Public TV and we finished first. Then with the Copa América where we became champions of America and the World Cup where we became world champions. I went to Telefe and we became champions of America again. So the person above put his finger on me and gave me the opportunity to be a little the voice of all these successful years of our National Team. It doesn’t happen to everyone, because surely all of us who dedicate ourselves to this long for such a possibility. I had that fortune and I am very grateful to have been able to tell all that. And keep telling it!
News: Beyond the games you report every week, is there any special preparation for facing a World Cup?
Giralt: Yes, for a year I have been preparing a lot physically and psychologically. I have my vocal coach, Vir Modica, who trains me in that aspect, I also work a lot to stretch my work life, the voice is an essential part of my work, being able to cope with an event like this requires that you arrive with a clear head, healthy from your vocal cords and physically whole to support such a workload. People see it as an absolute enjoyment, those of us who work on this experience it as a huge effort, in my case, in addition, it is for different signals, I work for DSports, for Telefe and for TNTSports. I need a corresponding physical response to overcome all that. You have to put up with that hustle and bustle added to the emotional seasonings that are given! What happens with the Argentine National Team affects me directly, I live it like this, it has a lot of emotional impact on me. If things are going well, I get excited and I spread it, I am another fan of my National Team, I love it. I think a lot about how they are in my country, about the way they experience each game. That emotional burden is sometimes fuel and other times it becomes extra pressure. As the years go by, I try to take it as fuel to give myself feedback.
News: Facing all this activity that you are talking about requires support on an emotional level as well. How is your family made up?
Giralt: It’s like this, I have my wife Valeria, my 16-year-old son Lautaro, who will turn 17 during the World Cup, and Facundo, my youngest son who is 11. My wife and I have been together since 2002, a long time. You saw that those of us who work in this profession are a bit fanatic about our activity, we have a kind of addiction to work, but also because the environment often requires you to be connected 24/7. Without family support and friends to accompany you in the good times, but also in the bad, it is very difficult to sustain yourself. A career has ups and downs, I am in a very nice moment where I allow myself, after many years of therapy, to enjoy what is happening to me and that my job is going well, but it has been a long time of sacrifice. Since 1999 when I entered Tournaments and began to build my career, 27 years have passed, imagine all the stages I have gone through, the waits for the right moment, the bitter drinks and also the things I dared to reach this moment of plenitude. I have the satisfaction of having lived what I lived and being able to project a future, because I love to tell stories, it is my vocation since I was little.
News: Did you always have the dream of telling stories, was there never a plan B?
Giralt: Yes, it really was my only desire from a very young age. I have wonderful parents, my old José, who turns 80 this year, also during the World Cup, and my mother, Cristina, who always believed in me. Now there are courses to be a football reporter; Not before, so I have a degree in journalism and a sports journalist. I did both careers at the same time, but always with the idea of being a narrator. As a child I played with the figurines or the little soldiers and I transformed them into soccer players, I made them kick a glass ball, I’m from that time (smiles). My vocation was always very marked.
News: Who opened the doors of the profession for you?
Giralt: In Torneos a casting was opened and there was a producer, Gonzalo Mozes, popularly known for “Stop Mozes, stop!” by Fantino (laughs). Gonzalo had been my teacher and he contacted me with a person named Eduardo Bagnato who was inside Torneos, they gave me the first opportunity to prove myself. I was a little resigned with the search, seriously thinking about returning to Venado Tuerto, my city, and on Tuesday, April 13, 1999, I did the casting that allowed me to start building my career. Tuesday the 13th brought me luck! I have been working in Tournaments for 27 years, it is my home. I started doing production work for “The Magic of the NBA” and another program called “El Nacional” that aired on TyC Sports. I have already gone through all the networks and channels, I have done every type of job imaginable, the road was long and hard, but I wanted to be a reporter like Víctor Hugo Morales and Marcelo Araujo, who marked a before and after of radio and television storytelling, I always admired them.
News: Now there are many more possibilities when it comes to communication due to the large number of existing platforms. If a boy wanted to be a narrator, what advice would you give him?
Giralt: When they ask me: “What do I have to do to be a football reporter?” I tell them that beyond the fact that there are courses, being informed is the ABC, you have to start there. But there is something that you either have it or you don’t have it, the sacred tool, which is passion, I live my career and life like that, I am very passionate. You have to fight for your dream, visualize it and fight for it, sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn’t. I was fortunate to be able to achieve it. That day they called me for the test, the planets aligned. Later, my career had many moments where luck was in my way, but I always tried to accompany it in everything I could from my work. You have to help luck with dedication, with hours of work, because you have to work on New Year’s, on Christmas, on your son’s birthday, and my motto is to always be available if they need me. I would never forgive myself for finishing a broadcast and feeling like I didn’t deliver everything. The day that happens, I’m going to give up this job permanently.
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