Quino Ruiz, 63 years old, Spanish coach and a mountain of medals behind him, makes his way between cars, trams and passers-by. He is accompanied by Cristina Cabaña and us, because “you have to stretch your legs,” says Quino, “Let's not get fat.” A gray t-shirt, shorts of the same colour and Crocs on his feet, Quino looks like a jet-lagged tourist without a map. However, he knows the way. Quino crosses the square and goes into a grocery store. The entrance is small; you have to meander through narrow corridors. We discover two things: the place is an authentic cave of Ali Baba in gastronomic style and Quino is the incarnation of the good judoka. "I'm a moderate guy," he says, almost monastic, we would say. Bananas, some chicken breast and the jewel in the crown, some yoghurts, “Bulgaria is the land of yoghurts.” Quino takes four half litres, one for each day he will stay in Sofia.
This is what they call discipline, we think. It must be, because we walk past the ready-made food counter, a series of homemade dishes that look like they're bringing the dead back to life. There is, especially, a tray with sausages that seems like a call to take two dozen and move up two weight classes. Quino doesn't flinch; he looks at the sausages as if they were radioactive. We drool. "It's one thing to be hungry and another to be silly," he says.
Cristina can't resist the temptation of chocolate. For her and some partners, "I'll burn it, don't worry." Okay.
What started as a pleasant walk ended in a fundamental lesson. We are talking about judo, about the European Championships. While Quino walks around, his boys line up in front of the sauna to lose the last few grams and be able to participate in the tournament. It will be to set an example, to show that he is not above them, despite being the coach. It will be because he is moderate, except when he cooks his wonderful rice in broth, we can talk about that because we have seen it with our own eyes. Perhaps it is the only whim that is allowed, two dishes, maybe three and it is normal because the rice is so tasty. In any case, no speech has been necessary. A walk and a shopping basket that is worth the same, or more, than any conference.