Julián Álvarez, solidarity scorer: the day he gave a van to his first DT in Calchín, his town

each of their celebrations, Julian Alvarez He crowns them with a “Spider-man” gesture: the ring and hand fingers bent and resting on the palm of the hand, and the little finger, index finger, and thumb stretched out. So the goalscorer found his hallmarkalmost “marketer”, although in reality pays homage to its origin, to Calchín, its town, and especially to its first DT: Rafael Varas.

It was the coach who gave him the nickname “Spider” because “when he was little he ran so fast that he seemed to have more than two feet,” recalled the Cordovan trainer, who accompanied the sporting growth of Julian Alvarez from the age of 4 to 13, a couple before leaving his town and going to River. But he always came back, personally or through gifts for his beloved DT, to whom one day he gave a van so that he could use it in one of the three jobs he has.

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That gesture of solidarity from the scorer moved DT to tearsnot only because it solved a work problem (he needed the utility truck for one of his jobs, as a delivery boy) but because it gave him the certainty that the boy he had met at the age of 4 and helped so much, had become a a grateful man.

Julián Álvarez, the solidarity goalscorer who is always present in Calchín

He regularly returned to the town (located just over 100 kilometers from the capital Córdoba) when he was in River and now that he has moved to Manchester, logically, it is more complicated. But one way or another, Julián’s presence is among the almost 3000 inhabitants that Calchín has. Small town, big idol, the scorer is in force in every chat between residents of the town.

That truck gift was two years ago, when Julián learned from his father that the DT of his childhood needed a bigger vehicle. to do the work with which he complements his life: in the morning he is a municipal employee (he is a machinist and is in charge of driving the commune’s mechanical shovel) and in the afternoon he sells and distributes food in businesses in Calchín. The car (a five-door Ford Ka) was too small for him and El Araña was pleased to give him a great gift.

“Julián made a huge gesture in giving me the truck. I did not expect it, but knowing the person he is, I did not expect less, “said the DT, who the day he received the gift was not from the National Team’s goalscorer but from his father, Gustavo, who called him and told him that he would stop by his house. Varas prepared the mate to receive Álvarez father who came to the horns with the utility, a Renault Kangoo: “This truck is given to you by Julián.”

If that alone was reason enough to get excited, when the moment of greeting arrived, Julián himself appeared on the other side of the cell phone to share that moment from a distance. “I couldn’t help but say thank you, he made me cry all Saturday,” said Varas, who stressed that The Spider’s gesture of solidarity was not only with him but also with other people from the town“because he bought the car at a Calchín dealership, the manager who did the paperwork is from Calchín… He helped many.”

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River fanatic fan, Rafael Varas also has a shirt that Julián gave him. And he admits that if El Araña had been a Boca player, he too would have gladly accepted the blue and yellow shirt, “when a gift arrives from someone you love so much, the colors are postponed,” he said. And so that everyone knows the origin of the gift, the DT put a decal on the back door with a spider and the word “thank you.”

In the same way, the soccer player sent a signed Millionaire’s jacket to the Municipality of Calchín: the person in charge of delivering it to the mayor was the player’s father, who in the town is known as Pululo Álvarez.

In any case, for the DT of the goalscorer’s childhood, it was already a great gift that Julián had come to play in the First Division. And although more than once he receives words of encouragement and congratulations from people, for the mere fact of having been the coach, he is clear that “Everything is for Julián, this is generated by him and his career is being built by him”.

Although, without losing modesty, Varas hangs a small medal, which goes both to Julián and to all the boys he led in his life and none of whom reached as far in football as Álvarez. “If I have left you something, it is respectalways be willing to work, be responsible not only in sports, but also in any job and study. If there is no respect for your colleagues, your bosses, it is not easy to get there”.