Javi Hernandez on Adapting to Indian Football, Mentoring Youth, and Chasing Glory in the Super Cup

Javi Hernandez is one of the veterans of the Indian Super League (ISL), with his tenure extending to more than 5 years on the Indian soil, The Spanish midfielder, who has played for big teams like Real Madrid's youth team has made name for himself in the India with his calmness and leadership on the field After playing for ATK, Mohun Bagan, Odisha FC and Bengaluru FC. Javi is now an important part of Jamshedpur FC. For Jamshedpur FC, Javi has given 26 appearances, scored 9 goals, and provided 3 assists.

We at Sportdunia were excited to have a chat with Javi Hernandez and learn more about his footballing journey in India as well as his Real Madrid. In this fun and unfiltered interview, he speaks about life in India, working with coach Khalid Jamil, and how Indian football is growing day by day. He also talks about his experience playing alongside legends like Nacho and Dani Carvajal in Spain.

Javi’s Journey at Jamshedpur FC

Javi Hernandez has found his second home at Jamshedpur FC. The player joined the club in 2024 from Bengaluru FC. While talking about his experience in the Jamshedpur FC squad, He told us how he got treated by his teammates. Javi quoted:

“I am feeling very good here. They treated me from the first day very good, like brothers. So I’m very happy and I cannot say any bad words about this club.”

Reaction to the ISL Semi-Final Loss

Jamshedpur FC lost against Mohun Bagan in the semi-final of the Indian Super League - Speaking on which, the Spanish player gave a reaction to the loss he and his team faced on 7th April. Jamshedpur FC stood in 5th position with 36 points in the ISL.

The 3rd and 4th-placed teams also got the same points as Jamshedpur FC, but they were placed higher due to the goal difference. The Spanish player told Sportsdunia: “We have to be proud of ourselves... anyone at the beginning of the season would say we played the semi-final and we did it. But we lost, I think, against the best team by far this season... overall we had a great season.”

Javi's Thoughts on the Super Cup Redemption

He viewed the upcoming Super Cup as more than just another tournament, which reflects how calm the player is when it comes to important competition, while other players must have said the other way round, but Javi Hernandez said: “Every club will go there to win. Not only for the Asian spot, but also it's a good tournament to win. This Super Cup is such a good trophy for the cabinet, so we will try.”

On Comparison between Indian Football Infrastructure vs Spanish Structure

Though we all knew the answer as which one is the best, the question was targeted to get a POV from a professional footballer, how does he see indian football structure and how it is different compared to the Spanish structure, and what improvements can be made to improve the indian structure.

Answering this question, Javi explained: “You cannot compare with Real Madrid, because it's the best club in the world. But still, many clubs here have good infrastructure... Indian football keeps improving.”

"I feel the level has improved significantly. Indian and local players are progressing a lot, thanks to time and growing interest. Years ago, it was just cricket, but now football is gaining popularity, and I believe in the next five to ten years, it will grow even more."

Relationship with Khalid Jamil

Khalid Jamil is one of the best coaches in the Indian Super League. Jamil played for Mahindra United, Air India, and Mumbai for the majority of his career. Javi shares a strong bond with head coach Khalid Jamil, whom he respects for his player-friendly style. Speaking on his relationship with Jamil. “From the first day he called me, we have had a very good relationship... he is very close to the players, he tries to speak with everyone almost every day,” Hernandez noted.

Foreign Players Adapting to New Clubs in India

It's never easy to join a fresh club in another country, finding new friends different destination with different meals and environment, these tasks are hard for new foreign players.

But for Javi, who has been playing in India since 2019, it didn't find it very hard to change clubs here in India. Initially, it was challenging. In response to the question, he said: “I came here, and when I came the first day, I knew many players in the club. It’s not difficult for me now. Players have to change clubs quickly because we normally sign short contracts.”

Impressed with Young Guns in the Team

Javi is highly impressed by a couple of young indian players in his squad, but his favorite is an Unknown player who had only played one game for the club in Chennai. While revealing the name, he answered: "Sanan is great... but I would like to speak about one player, maybe you don’t know – it’s Puya. He played only one game in Chennai, but he’s very good... he will show shortly that he can play at a high level."

Views on Indians and Foreigners Playing Together

According to the Spanish Man, the combination is helping the Indian football scene to grow in the country. Where foreign players bring experience, and Indian players add flair to it. Let's look at what he said in reply to this question:

“We need the Indian players and Indian players need us... a mix with local players and foreign players is always good. They can learn from us and we can learn from them.”

Message to Young Lads in the Jamshedpur FC Academy

We wanted to know how close Javi is to the new talents, and he answered in our expected way.

Experienced footballers sharing their experience with the upcoming generation will help the league indirectly if the youngsters apply the given tips from these players sincerely. He quoted: "I try to speak with them about what I did and what I think is good for them... during training or the game, I try to give my 100% from the first day until the last."