Alvarez: I will try my best to give back to the fans with my performance on the court, and do my best to lead Atletico to the top

May 6th, the season is approaching. Alvarez is interviewed by the Spanish media "As" and talked about joining Atletico Madrid this season.

When Cork was a child, he always slept with football. Have you ever done this?

"No, but I do play all day long, be with my brothers, at home, outside, on the small courts in the community, playing football everywhere, and sometimes parents scold us for breaking things (laughs). "

How did the nickname "Little Spider" come from?

"Although I can't remember it very clearly, it was probably what my brothers and other friends gave me when I was three or four years old when I was playing football on the street."

Do you like this nickname?

"Yes, I was small when I was a kid, so everyone started calling me 'little spider'. Only in school, teachers would call me daming, so if someone called me 'Julian', I would hardly look back (laugh)."

So what about in the locker room?

"They sometimes call me 'Araña', sometimes call me 'Juli', and when I was playing in the riverbed, they didn't know my nickname, so they would call me Juli."

Where at Atletico?

"Depending on the situation, some people will call me the 'little spider', such as DePaul and other Argentine players. In general, anyone can call the 'little spider' or make related jokes. This is already very common for me."

How did the celebration move come about?

"After I played the first team in River Plate in 2019, two friends told me that if I scored a goal, I must celebrate like this. As a result, I really scored that day, so I celebrated the same way they said, and it has been used since then."

Have you watched Atletico Madrid in Argentina when I was a child? What are your impressions?

"I remember when I was about eleven or twelve years old, when Simeone was already coaching, and there were many Argentine players playing for Atletico, such as Aguero. These memories mainly come from reports on Argentine TV. I didn't often watch TV or games when I was a child, but I occasionally saw news about Argentine players."

Since joining Atletico Madrid, have you felt that there are more Argentine fans in the team?

"I'm not sure, but when a team has many Argentine players, I do feel this sense of identity and representation."

Atletico Madrid will see a lot of Argentine national team jerseys at home...

"Yes, because there are many Argentine players in the team, and all the Argentine fans come to Spain to join us to express their love."

How does Atletico Madrid feel inside?

"It's similar to what I imagined, like a big family. Compared to when I was in the Premier League, the feeling here is closer to Argentina. Maybe it's because of language, or as we said, there are many Argentine teammates on the team, and the coach is also Argentine, so I feel it's more like Argentina. This is a very united family, and the passion, courage and soul represented by Atletico Madrid are more deeply felt from the inside."

What impressed you the most?

"The people here, the fans are the ones who surprised me the most. And his teammates, especially Griezmann, told me before I arrived: 'You will fall in love with the fans here, fall in love with the people here.' That's true."

talked about how to contact Atletico Madrid "The first person to contact me was Giuliano. During the Olympics, he talked about this a little half-jokingly, and there were rumors on social media at that time."

What did you say at that time?

"Nothing, it's just a joke, like 'Come to Atletico'... 'Simone', 'Simone'... Then Simeone really called and we talked. Later, DePaul and Griezmann also came to talk to me, and I was with Giuliano all day, and it slowly came naturally."

Why Griezmann?

"I don't know, he is the person who sent me a message, maybe assigned by Simeone (laughs). As a legend of the club, such an important person sending you a message is obviously a serious matter for the players. He said to me, 'Come on, join us, we will treat you well, you will be happy here, you will fall in love with the fans here...' Such words gradually moved me and finally made me decide to join."

How do you feel when you see hundreds of fans waiting for you at the airport?

"When I arrived, Atletico Madrid people told me that there were many fans paying attention to my flight and that there was a large group of people gathered outside the airport. I felt everyone's enthusiasm from the beginning. I will try my best to give back to them with my performance on the court and do my best to lead Atletico to the peak."

One of Atletico Madrid's major goal is the Champions League. Does the team still have a chance?

"We have proved ourselves this season and despite the hard time in March, we've been fighting until the last minute because of some small details. In fact, we didn't even lose a single game, so I think we're really a strong team."

Which player impressed you in his first season at Atletico?

"I had expected Griezmann and Cork's performance, because they have played for the team for many years and have always been very high-level players, but now if you want to say one person, I will choose Barrios. He performed very well this season, is a very comprehensive player, and has a lot of room for learning and growth, and is very good."

So what about the most impressive player in La Liga?

"Pedri, I knew him before, but when facing him, his performance still surprised me. And Yamal, he is incredible by his age."

Talking about the rumors that Romero joined Atletico Madrid "I hope he can come! He is a very outstanding player, and in my opinion, he is one of the best central defenders in the world. As a teammate of the national team, he not only has outstanding skills, but also has a very good character. His joining will greatly enhance our lineup strength. ”