José María García (Madrid, 1943) has returned. But this time on television. More than two decades after saying goodbye to radio after 40 years in the profession, the documentary series Supergarcía (as the popular sports journalist was known) arrives on Movistar Plus tomorrow, Monday, to review his life and professional career. Introducer of early-morning sports radio in Spain and inventor of such memorable adjectives as 'lamp-hugging', 'chupópteros' or 'correveidiles', but above all unable to keep quiet about a truth, José María García also reflects on the future of the profession.
When you proposed this docuseries, did you think it was a good idea or did you want to get rid of the thorn in the Kings of the Night series?
It has nothing to do with it. Although the fiction series was a real pig of someone I loved and I have helped both him and his father a lot [referring to Antonio Asensio Jr, head of Zeta Studios, producer of the series] . He told Movistar that I had authorized the series and it was absolutely false. What's more, he had told her no because it wasn't a real thing. They made up a story that was to go directly to court, which I did not do for his family. Then came the proposal from Charlie Arnaiz and Alberto Ortega, directors of Supergarcía, and I liked it. I have been retired for 20 years and I wanted to do something similar but the offers that came to me did not convince me.
You became a very powerful person. What is the best and worst of having so much power?
Journalists have no power. In any case, a relative power. We do have an important power, which is to educate public opinion. I had a tremendous battle with Pablo Pablito, Pablete [as I called Pablo Porta] who was a close friend of mine when he was vice president of the RFEF but when he became president I had to denounce his management that, among other things, did not let the children do sport. Despite what I said, he was still president of the federation, but what he couldn't do was go out into the street. He lived in front of a school in Barcelona and after the children discovered him, knowing his story, Porta was forced to leave his house when there were no children.
The radio battle La Ser-Antena 3 that you lived with José Ramón de la Morena, seen from a distance, was it justified?
I totally regret it and I apologize. I already told De la Morena that we were very wrong. One day she called me if we could eat together and I accepted. Since then we have maintained a proper relationship. It's absolutely forgotten and I don't hold any grudges.
However, De la Morena did not want to contribute his testimony to this documentary series.
Yes it's true. I don't know why she didn't want to participate but I don't care either. 15 days ago she was with me at an event in Cádiz.
What do you think has been your great contribution to journalism?
The desperate search for the truth. Not of the absolute truth but of my truth. And then denounce all the scams that I have come across and that have been many.
What news are you most proud of?
The coverage of the night of 23F in 1981 was very important, both for Spain and for me, and also the massacre in the Plaza del Tlatelolco, the Plaza de las Tres Culturas, during the Olympics in Mexico in 1968. There I miraculously saved my life. , under a bus. It was the most dangerous and complicated moment I have ever experienced.
Curiously, they are extra-sports news.
It is that there are many sports. I am also very happy with all the discoveries in the world of sports, the games that were sold and bought, the referees...
By the way, what do you think of the “Negreira case”?
I think that the people of Barcelona have been infinitely clumsy. I don't quite understand how already tall men can do such an outrage.
How do you currently view journalism in general?
Today there is no longer the quality journalism of before. It is in its worst moments because most communication companies are bankrupt. And if journalism loses its independence and plurality, it has lost everything.
He has been away from the radio since 2002. Do you miss the medium?
No. And it has been quite a surprise. I've gotten used to living without it. And I'm not bored. Now I have three granddaughters. I couldn't with my children because she was always traveling but now my granddaughters are all for me.
