This Thursday marked three years of the only Clásico he played Sergio Agüero (36 years old). He scored in Madrid’s 1-2 draw at the Camp Nou. A week later he retired against Alavés due to an arrhythmia and did not play again. Now he enjoys football as a fan and projects such as being an ambassador for Stake, a global sports betting and casino company. This Saturday he will not miss the Bernabéu duel like any other culé fan.
He has been retired for three years now. What is life like without football?
Yes, almost three years since the arrhythmia in Barcelona. At first it’s hard for you to accept stopping playing, but it was a three-month process to find out if I could come back and in the end I made the decision not to. From there, I already had many projects and I focused on the gaming team I already had.
Do you watch many games? What teams?
I’m almost 30% watching football. From the Premier and I have seen some Barça games like Monaco but I am quite informed.
What do you think of Barça’s start to the season?
Barça always brings out these talents from the quarry and, with a little polishing, they always end up having a great team. The new coach shows. It’s pretty hard. Without knowing him, you realize that he is quite demanding and that ends up bringing out the best in the players. He is very good in those cases and today he has Lamine Yamal, who is very surprising because being so young he does things that make it seem like he is 26 or 28 years old. All of us who like football have to enjoy it because very few of those characteristics are emerging. Obviously he is at Barça so much better. We have to see how he continues in a few years because everything depends on the head of each player and how far he can go, but he is showing that he is a talent that very few have. Less and less.
Is it normal to have that sense of play at 17 years old?
Exactly, each one has his talent, to move forward, to get two or three players off his back but he has things that, due to his age, others would not do. He has a different vision of the game than a boy of 17, 18 and 20 years old. When I was a kid, I had my talent, although later you have to continue working on it. But there are other things that are natural, vision of the game, that comes naturally and he has them. He makes passes, opens the game, plays as a team and defends. Everything also depends on the coach because there are technicians who today say that you stay on one side, that you block the exit and that you start later. There are other coaches who want you to progress defensively. In Spain-Denmark I saw him in the crescent defending. With his talent, it is normal to stay at the top waiting but it is clear that there are others who do not have it.
Marcos Senna recently said that he likes Lamine Yamal more than Vinicius. Do you agree?
In playing style, speaking of talent, Lamine has many more things than Vinicius although he has more experience and is more of a player with the titles won with Madrid. Vinicius is one of the ‘top 3’ in the world but due to age and talent, I prefer Lamine more. If it were up to me, I would have one on each side of my team and have the opponent pray. It’s like when Messi and Neymar were together. Vinicius now has Mbappé in Madrid but he is more of a ‘9’ and does not have the talent of Vinicius.
Do you see Mbappé behind Vinicius?
What one has, the other does not have and vice versa. Mbappé must try to adapt to Madrid’s game. In Paris he stayed upstairs and waited for cons to kill there but they are totally different. You can’t see PSG’s Mbappé who painted the opponent’s face. Playing against Madrid, you have to protect Vinicius’s area. He is the one who breaks the game and hurts you.
How do you see the Classic? Any favorites?
It will be a nice match. I won’t bet but Barça is very good. The field always influences and will be complicated but they have more chances of winning than Madrid although Real does not need even 20% of the ball and scores. Why is it like this? It is not known but historically in the last 10 minutes they have things that the rest do not have. I suffered it at Atlético. They say what luck and what an ass and it is not like that. If you win so many times over the hour, it is not luck but something that the rest do not have.
“You can’t see PSG’s Mbappé who painted the opponent’s face. Playing against Madrid, you have to protect Vinicius’ area”
As a goal man that you were, how long do you see Lewandowski scoring goals?
I stopped playing for something else but it all depends on how you feel and how you recover, but Lewandowski will continue to have the talent. He could play until he’s 42 or 43. He won’t have the agility he used to, but he’s lively enough to score so many goals. He looks good. He is going to continue scoring and even more so at Barça, where there are always chances. The forward must be in the area and be mischievous. Today it has no problem. Most people take care of themselves, except for me who sometimes eats a hamburger.
Which established center forward would you sign if you were a coach today?
Obviously Haaland is the one that attracts the most attention but you have to have a good wallet. I don’t rule out Mbappé as ‘9’ either, although he can play as a winger.
Who do you see as the favorite for the new Champions League?
With this new format everything is very strange. I think there won’t be too many surprises. Those at a low level, who are not like City, Madrid, Barça, Bayern, Liverpool, Inter and Arsenal, can also be classified. Hopefully it will be Barça and City, who are having a hard time in some games but in the end they end up dominating. Playing against a favorite, I feel that two unexpected teams are going to reach the final.
Where do you see Guardiola when he leaves Manchester City?
There is no longer a Pep-style team after Barça, Bayern or City. It would be doing again what he did at City making signings and I don’t see him starting that routine but more for a national team. I would have less daily work and could analyze more. In a short time he could introduce his game concept to internationals who already have talent, although that depends on which country he chose. In addition to Brazil and Argentina, in Europe there are teams that can fit your style.
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And at Atlético, what explanation do you give for the team’s irregularity?
When I played it was already like that. We had a good peak and then it went down but Atlético is much better than when I was there. There are better players but there are things I don’t understand. I recently heard ‘Cholo’ Simeone say that De Paul was not performing like he did in the national team. I don’t know what he meant to refer to. I found it strange that he said that when it is the coach who should make him play better. Maybe it’s not your position. Atlético also defends more than the Argentine team. There are many things you can’t wait for. With Messi, Barça played differently than Argentina and although he stood out equally, the team did not accompany him. Scaloni made a game change to make it easier and it worked. I also always said why Correa doesn’t play, he is very good, and has saved many games for Atlético and ‘Cholo’ Simeone and I don’t understand why he doesn’t give him more minutes. Against Madrid, De Paul was playing well and took it out. It is not understood: either you have to play badly and leave it on the court or if you play well, take it out. Everyone has their opinion but that’s why I’m not a coach.
“At the game level he will suffer because at City he had 10 arrivals but we all know how ‘Cholo’ Simeone’s team plays”
Any advice for Julián Álvarez at Atlético?
I already have a relationship with him from when he was at City and I congratulated him for going to Madrid, which is a very beautiful city and similar to Buenos Aires to feel better than in Manchester. At the game level he is going to suffer because at City he had 10 arrivals but we all know how ‘Cholo’ Simeone’s team plays and he will have to put in the ones he has. Anyone can fail and sometimes they can’t and there will always be criticism. You have to be patient. What Julián will surely transmit, another will not: attitude and desire to win. He will not disappoint in what Atlético likes. I hope it goes well but it all depends on the style of play and the coach.
Sergio ‘Kun’ Agüero, brand ambassador of Stake
M.D.
