Djaló’s Bold Return Plea: “I Want too Show What I’m Worth” at Athletic Bilbao
Bilbao, Spain – The saga of Álvaro Djaló at Athletic Bilbao is far from over, and the young attacker is making it clear he’s not ready to hang up his boots in the Basque Country just yet. After a challenging debut season and a subsequent loan spell, Djaló has publicly expressed his burning desire to return to the club that once made him their third most expensive signing.
Two summers ago, Athletic shelled out a hefty €15 million to Braga for Djaló, a move designed to bolster their attacking options and possibly cover for the departure of Nico Williams. However,the 26-year-old’s initial performances failed to ignite the San Mamés faithful,leading to a loan move this past summer to Al-Gharafa,where he now partners with former Real Madrid striker Joselu.
despite Al-Gharafa holding a purchase option, Djaló’s heart remains firmly set on Athletic. In a candid interview with the AS newspaper, he didn’t mince words about his aspirations.
“I’m on loan and I would like to return to show what I’m worth,”
Djaló stated. “In any case, my first challenge is to enjoy football again and be happy. Returning to Athletic is not in my hands.”
The attacker readily admits that his first year at Athletic was a steep learning curve, admitting to struggles that impacted his game.
“I was not well psychologically and I could not live up to it,”
he explained. “I didn’t play and it was challenging for me to adapt to the situation. I should have believed it a little more,as I had done in Braga.”
The decision to leave on loan, especially with Athletic gearing up for a return to Champions League football, was a bitter pill to swallow.
“It was going to be an exciting season for me, but things didn’t go well,”
Djaló reflected.“I was upset that I had to leave, but it is part of football and I have assumed it.”
The pressure of playing for a club with such a passionate fanbase, coupled with online criticism, took its toll. Djaló revealed that the negativity from anonymous social media users impacted him more through the distress it caused his loved ones.
“It hurt me more to see my close people having to put up with certain things from anonymous people,”
he confessed. “At first I was paying attention to social media, but there came a time when I realized that it was not doing me any good.That’s why I isolated myself looking for tranquility and trying to find the best inside myself and not outside.”
A notably poignant revelation from Djaló concerns his relationship with Athletic’s seasoned manager, Ernesto Valverde. The attacker felt a lack of direct engagement from the coach during his time at the club.
“In the season I spent there I spoke with him two or three times, no more,”
Djaló revealed. “I did it a lot with the psychologist, with the sports director and with my teammates, who tried to help me. the problem is that when the head does not work it is indeed impractical for things to turn out well. It is the driving force of the human being and in football it is essential.”
When pressed on weather he felt he missed more support from Valverde, Djaló didn’t shy away from his feelings.
“Yes,”
he admitted.“I mentioned it to Mikel González, the sports director. If it had made me feel a little more crucial it would have been a different story because it would have made my skin feel a lot more.”
Djaló’s current situation mirrors that of many promising young talents who face immense pressure to perform immediatly at top-tier clubs. His willingness to acknowledge his struggles and his clear determination to rectify them speak volumes about his character. Whether Athletic Bilbao will heed his plea and offer him a second chance remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Álvaro Djaló is hungry to prove his worth and reignite his career at the club that invested heavily in his potential. Sports enthusiasts will be watching closely to see if this chapter has a triumphant sequel.
