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In Calchín, a town of about 3,200 inhabitants located in the department of Río Segundo, Córdoba (mainly dedicated to agriculture), one of the main young wonders of Argentine soccer emerged, which became one of the main weaknesses of Marcelo Gallardo and restored confidence with goals and brilliant performances. The man in question is Julián Álvarez, the star of the Núñez club who, after a millionaire sale, will continue his career in one of the most powerful clubs in Europe (Manchester City) and who seeks to secure a place in the consideration of Lionel Scaloni in the Argentine team thinking about the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Perhaps the elimination against Vélez is not the best ending to a brilliant stage, but it does not cover the mark he left on Núñez.
The Spidera nickname he received from his older brother because “it seemed like he had more than one leg” when moving with the ball, he made noise since he was a child, like when He was on trial for more than a month in nothing more and nothing less than Real Madrid in Spain.
Talent scout Piero Foglia, alerted by a referee, was dazzled by the boy and got a test at the White House. He “He participated in some championships, he was even a scorer. But since he was younger, Real Madrid could not sign boys of that age, ”Ricardo Varas, his first coach, explained to this site. The only alternative was to move his entire family, something that ultimately did not happen. Julian was 11 years old.
On his return to the country, several First Division teams set their eyes on him. He tried his luck in Boca and Argentinos Juniors -he came to be in the club pension-, but his great desire was to wear the shirt of the Millionaire. “He had the chance to go to Boca, but he wanted to go to River. You can ask anyone. When Maradona was asked about his dream, he said it was to play for the National Team. Well, with him it was something similar. He dreamed of going to River. He is a River fan. That sums it all up”, commented Claudio Gorgerino, mayor of Calchín.
His love for the ball was a crush at first sight. At two years old, when the ball was almost as big as he was, he accompanied his brothers Rafael and Agustín. A year and a half later he officially joined the Club Atlético Calchín soccer school, which coincidentally has the same shirt design and practically the same shield as River Plate.
At the end of 2015, his long-awaited opportunity arrived. Talent scouts from the Núñez entity went to Embalse Río Tercero to test players and were overshadowed by Álvarez. “I didn’t hesitate because I was older and I knew that my opportunities were going to run out”, expressed the Cordovan to the official website of the club. The following year, with the true red band crossed on his chest, the attacker’s career became meteoric, being a recurring participant in the different youth teams of Argentina -he was sparring for the Major in the 2018 World Cup in Russia and played in the World Sub 20 of Poland- and under the meticulous magnifying glass of Marcelo Gallardo.
“He is a player that we coaches love. For its quality, for its generosity, for its mischief. Any coaching staff would like to have him. He is a very young boy and he has a long way to go, ”El Muñeco was able to publicly recognize, making it clear why he became one of his favorite players on the squad.
Napoleon He saw in the Cordovan a young man with the potential to make great history, both in the club and in the world of football. A clear demonstration of the faith that he had in him was putting him in the historic final against Boca at the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid (he also participated in the definition of the following year against Flamengo).
His growth became exponential when he stopped playing lying on a band to move to the center of attack. Being constantly summoned by Scaloni to the national team could be another factor that influenced his increase in level. Although he did not have the minutes he longed for, training and measuring himself with several of the best on the planet helped him take a step forward. He was champion in the last Copa América and is bidding for a place in Qatar 2022.
The numbers position Julián Álvarez, who debuted in the First Division on October 27, 2018 in a 1-0 victory over Aldosivi at the Monumental, well above, as one of the best strikers of the Marcelo Gallardo era, only surpassed by the Colombian Rafael Santos Borré. He scored 54 goals, one less than the man from Eintracht Frankfurt and was the top scorer in Argentine football in the last Professional League. In his 122 presentations, in addition, he contributed 31 assists.
His versatility on the court, talent and speed (both physical and mental) caught the attention of Pep Guardiola, who requested him to add him to his ranks at Manchester City, club that disbursed the impressive sum of 21 million dollars to get their services. This transfer became one of the most important in the history of River Plate (only surpassed by that of Javier Saviola to Barcelona and that of Pablo Aimar to Valencia).
The spiderin the next few hours, he will board a plane bound for England, since will be presented on July 10 along with his new partner on offense: relentless gunner Erling Haaland. The event will be in Etihad Stadium and will also feature the German goalkeeper Stefan Ortega Moreno, the other addition to the team led by the Spanish strategist.
Still in the midst of regret over the cupbearer’s stumble, Gallardo showered him with praise and recounted what he said during the farewell talk: “What I told him personally is that for me it is a source of enormous pride to have been able to train him over the years and share his growth and football evolution.. Today he leaves for one of the most important teams in the world, that gives me a lot of happiness, I thanked him because he gave himself until the last moment, he could have relaxed several dates ago, and he did not, he did not spare a bite, a touch or an effort, and that has a lot of value, that is a source of pride for me that I have seen him grow, evolve and train. He has shown that he deserves this opportunity that he has, he is going to be an elite player, I wish him the best, he is a great guy and a great professional; the best for him and for his whole family”.
Although he is taking his first steps as a professional, Julián Álvarez has already made great history in River (a Copa Libertadores, a Recopa Sudamericana, an Argentine Cup, a Professional League, a Champions Trophy and an Argentine Super Cup) and now he will try to conquer Europe.
* Gallardo’s word about Álvarez
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