“It is very difficult for other countries to play against Argentina,” said the former soccer player.
Agüero will be in Qatar to share his experience with his former Albiceleste teammates
Sergio ‘Kun’ Agüero will not be on the pitch at the World Cup in Qatar, but he will be part of the coaching staff that Lionel Scaloni will take with him in search of the World Cup. The former soccer player will help and advise his teammates given his experience in tournaments of this magnitude.
What does the FIFA World Cup mean to you?
For me, the FIFA World Cup means a lot, I mean, every kid dreams of being in the World Cup, but not everyone gets the chance to do it. I’ve been to three World Cups, which I think is the best thing that can happen to a footballer.
When did you find out about the mark your country has left on the World Cup?
Well, since I was little I knew that Argentina was a competitive team in the World Cup. When you’re a kid, you don’t understand much, but when the World Cup arrives, the entire country is paralyzed. Even schools cancel their classes. Depending on the time of the match, schools across the country set up screens so that children can watch the World Cup. Thus, since we are small, the country shows how passionate Argentina is. I remember that the first time I saw a World Cup was at school, when I was five or six years old. There I knew that Argentina was always among the favorites to win the World Cup. One learns as the different World Cups take place and realizes that Argentina always stands out in all of them. In my opinion, it is very difficult for other countries to play against Argentina.
How has this competition brought people together in Argentina?
The FIFA World Cup has the power to unite all countries, which brings us all together, also because it is held in one country. This time, the World Cup will be held in Qatar. This It allows people to get to know other cultures, something that brings beauty to the competition.
People enjoy it very much. I’m going to experience it from my side, so I’m intrigued to know how a fan of a fan experiences it. I want to experience the adrenaline and the feeling of people waiting outside… it will be a completely different experience for me.
And very interesting, too. The 2010 World Cup was the first to be held in Africa. What was it like playing in such a new environment?
It was a good experience. It was my first World Cup. But, as you know, we players don’t go out to explore much. We are always inside a sports complex, concentrating and training, as people already know. The environment is completely different. I remember people playing some kind of famous brass instrument that drowned out every other sound.
If you go to Brazil, you will see that it is also a totally different environment. They are all incredible experiences for the player, because you encounter things that are not common in all stadiums and fields.
What role do you think football should play in breaking down cultural barriers?
I think that with what they are doing with each World Cup and with the people, I think that each World Cup allows us to understand something of another culture. I think it’s up to us to break down those barriers between cultures, there is no other way.
I think with every World Cup we make some progress. Of course, it is impossible to achieve perfection, but little by little, people are starting to realize how different cultures are, and that we have to respect each and every one of them.
I think we are on the right track, but I also think it is our responsibility to respect cultures.
In 2014, it was easier to get around and the atmosphere was completely different, the Argentine fans took over Brazil. How did the players feel the passion, hope and joy of the fans during that tournament?
In that competition in 2014… It is true that Argentina is very close to Brazil and that made many people go there. To be honest, we were surprised from day one, because when we went to training we already saw a crowd of people accompanying us. In the first game, we realized that it was almost like playing in Argentina. The matches were happening and in the final Argentina almost completely occupied Brazil.
It was crazy. It was very special for us and I think it will be impossible to forget everything our fans did for Argentina during that World Cup.
FIFA has put in place a platform to protect players during this tournament from hate speech on social media, so that all posted hate speech will not be seen by players or their families. What impact will this initiative have on players?
I think that everything related to racism and these things, judging people… Because I think that people tend to judge other people, it is very positive because it is a way of respecting others, whoever they are, and this includes to the players.
As we all know, we have very different players. In the world of football, we try to be very respectful and we will continue to be.
Now I am on the other side and I want the players to be respectful. I think it is a good initiative, so that we are equal. That’s the truth.
What impact would this type of tool have on your career and that of your teammates both in the national team and at the clubs?
I think this would have had an impact [en mi carrera]. I have experienced this situation once with a teammate. To be honest, it’s hard for that person to be attacked or insulted by people. He is our teammate and we feel the attack as if he is our brother or any relative because he is representing the same team.
This situation makes us uncomfortable because we do not understand why these things happen. Nevertheless, I have never experienced it in the first person.
In Argentina there are usually a lot of insults in the stadiums, but that is typical in Argentina. We are used to it. I think it’s like that in all of South America. However, there are certain limits and we all know which ones can be exceeded. Based on my experience, I think these situations are horrible.
We make a lot of effort, we work hard to achieve our goal, which is simply to have a good race. When these things happen, I think this person’s morale is negatively affected. So I think we should be more respectful. It doesn’t matter if he is a fan from the same country or not. I believe that you always have to respect the players. We will overcome these situations by teaching people to accept that things do not always go their way.