Behind the soccer talent, the Colombian tune, the prodigious left foot and the perfect goals hides a very interesting and unique human being for Argentine soccer, because he is one of the few soccer players who is encouraged to talk about issues that go beyond ball and the daily maelstrom of Argentine soccer. Juan Fernando Quintero It is not only different on the court but also off it, at an intellectual and educational level, that is why listening to it or reading it usually leaves different sensations.
In an interview with Infobae, the nalgon he left no subject untouched and logically the first thing he delved into was the output of Marcelo Gallardo as River’s DT: “He didn’t assimilate it. After Marcelo breaks the news about him, when he got here he was already very different. He tells it to us, that was a little where I realized all the things. Many thoughts came. I started to think things, what would it be like without many. I felt that a very important person was already leaving and that way many can also leave. What Marcelo meant to me in particular … These are difficult times, “he told how the ad hit him.
Marcelo and Juan Fernando are united by an emotional bond that goes far beyond River: “Marcelo was always very open with us, perhaps with some he has a better relationship than with others. Obviously we all have a good relationship, but with some he connects more surely and that is reflected, particularly the two of us were born on January 18, there are many coincidences, I am very similar to his personality. Since I arrived, he treated me well, he protected me, he showed me that affection, that support, that respect on the field. We win important things together, in the end that’s what life is about. I think it teaches us to walk; and we went out and walked. He is like a father to all of us, I took it that way. He exploited my talent, he exploited my conditions, I have nothing but words of thanks”, says the 10 about the relationship with the Mister.
Explaining the bases of said friendship, he expressed: “In transparency… In being honest with the other, telling the truth, what one feels. Always want the best for the other. Help the other. There are many values. There are really few friends I have, but I value them very much. We are always in contact. That’s what football is about, it leaves you with those people who leave a mark on you“.
Something that often reveals to many fans is how Gallardo makes the most of his players and always manages to get the best out of them in the long run. This is how the Colombian explains it: “First, the demand, knowing that the body can give more. And in the mental part, being strong, because River entails that. That’s where we talked about how a failure looks much more than a success because, as usual, You win and you don’t enjoy, you have no idea of what you win, when you lose it looks like everything collapses, but that’s what River entails, the demand. Such a coach has the mentality of just winning, no matter what the price, you have to win. He transmits to you that winning makes you respect, that’s how it is. Success entails that, being a successful person is difficult, but it is part of many factors. I think that one enters the field, you can lose, tie, but never leave the mentality aside and hit it.”
One of the most difficult things in the world of football is to keep your feet on the ground and not get carried away or clouded by camera flashes and money. Juanfer is very clear: “Since childhood one never had anything and lived happily. I believe that happiness is the most importantand. Obviously we work for something, because tomorrow, the day that one is missing, one wants to leave a legacy to his children, to his family. And it’s work, whether it’s a lot or a little, it’s work. I simply dedicate myself to work, be it good, regular or bad. But really my priority is not money. Zero. That’s how I live, money doesn’t make me, it makes me what I am. I will not be the richest, nor the poorest. I’m going to be rich in spirit and that’s what defines me.”
Finally, he delved into an ultra-sensitive topic such as the disappearance of his father, something that he carries with him every day of his life: “A lot… I didn’t know my father. I have those particles of talent from my father because he obviously had a lot of talent, he played football, he couldn’t get there. My mother, my grandparents banked me. I’ve always said that I didn’t have a father but I had some great uncles. That was what my father left me, the legacy. Today I have that responsibility to fulfill what he could not and take it to another level, so that the whole family feels proud and is reflected in him”.
