The Spaniard was a free agent when offered the chance to move to India. Now, having won the second league title of his career, he is without a club again.
“There are moments that appear in your life and you have to decide whether to grab them or whether to let them go by, knowing that they will probably never come back around.”
It was January 2019 and Luis Manuel Villa Lopez – known simply as Luisma – had just become a free agent after terminating his contract with SD Ponferradina, a Spanish third-division side in the north-west of Spain.
Out of the blue, he received a call, asking if he would be interested in moving 5,000 miles to sign for Bengaluru FC in the Indian Super League.
After an interview at Betway, he gave his feedback on living in India.
“Lots of the players and coaching team were living in these apartments along with some locals.
“To have people from your own country helped make the distance seem more bearable. I was lucky to be there at the same time as Javi Pinillos, the goalkeeper coach from my time at Racing. Rhe minute I set foot in Bangalore he was there to help me with whatever I needed.
“Above all, we used our free time to rest. We’d stay in to watch matches, go to the city centre to have a coffee – more or less the same things that you would do anywhere.
“We liked to go to the city centre on a tuk-tuk, Travel around the city, visit the shops, eat in restaurants.”
So why go back abroad?
“It was a difficult decision,” he says, “but in the end, it was the right one. You always have to think that whatever decision you make is the right one.
“I have great memories of Bangalore. They are three months that I will never forget.
“The relationship between the players was really good. The coaching staff made sure there was a good atmosphere around the place, and any dressing room that feels like a family goes a long way together.
“The Indian fans were also incredible,” he says. “They really surprised me for the better.
“On the day of the final, we arrived on the coach, and I remember seeing all the people jumping for joy. Every single person in their colours – both for Bengaluru and Goa – mixing among themselves, no bad vibes.
“For me it was just one more game.
“I started on the bench and came on in the second half, with the score at 0-0, thinking how I could do my best to help the team.
“I am used to controlling my emotions quite well. I only think about having fun, trying to do things well, enjoy the moment. I don’t tend to get nervous because I don’t think about it. I’ve spent plenty of years practising this sport.”