Diego Alonso: “Araujo is very complete, he can play as a center back and as a winger”

Just over two months later world of Qatarthe selector of Uruguay, diego alonso, gave an extensive interview to this newspaper. referred to Ronald Araujoa Luis Suarez and some other current issues.

What is Araujo’s ideal position?

First of all, he is a defender. We feel like a complete defender, who can play in any of the four back positions. He played as a full-back and central defender on the right, but he also played as a full-back and central defender on the left. Not with us, but at Barcelona he had the opportunity to act on several occasions as a left back. But it usually develops on the right side. We see him as a player who can be central or lateral. It magnifies it. He is a more complete footballer by having alternatives. Closer to the band, or more in the middle, gives him more tools to grow and develop in his career.

Do you think there are footballers who carry the national team inside?

I have a lot of confidence in the Uruguayan soccer player. And I have a lot of faith in these players. I can’t see the ID. I watch selection shows, and performances with me. Because when I came (in January to the Uruguayan team) they were performances that one saw. But now they have come back to me. And all this is checked. Otherwise, there are players that I cannot mention, but I know that they play in the national team. One case, (Facundo) Pellistri, had no activity, but they came to the selection and he responded. (Matías) Neighbor, last semester he had little participation in his club

But with us he had a very high performance. (Edinson) Cavani both. He came with almost no games and later he also played at a high level. Luis himself (Suárez) at Atlético Madrid did not have much continuity. The same thing happened before. I always name the players from my era. (Fabian) Carini and Pablo Garcia. They played a little with their clubs and performed when they arrived in Uruguay. Because to play in the national team you have to be a national team player.

Will Godin be ready for the World Cup?

Our forecast is that he will reach the World Cup. We believe he will be fit to play in the World Cup. But now, in the month of September, he is not fit. And we must be attentive to its evolution. It’s an injury he already has. This is not new to him and us. When we arrived in January and started optional training, where we invited players who were on vacation in Uruguay at the beginning of the year, he already had a problem. But he was able to reach the first two dates of the Qualification, which were Paraguay (January 27) and Venezuela (February 1). In the Paraguay game he came off in the 75th minute with the same pain he has now. But he played, and he recovered for the second game. And then he played in the third and fourth (in March against Peru and Chile). He and his doctors understand that the only way to heal is to give him enough time. We will be attentive to see how everything develops.

Is Luis Suárez the celestial number 1?

We will see now in September (against Iran and Canada) whether to start or not. What I can tell you is that I am very happy with his performance, very happy with what he gave us. He played four games in Qualifying and scored three goals, and he had a great performance with us. But Edi (Cavani) also had it, when it was his turn to play, and Darwin (Nuñez) also came fighting and growing.

So, these are the situations I need to solve. But the first to know should be the footballers, through themselves and not through the press. Eligible players, and non-players, always know this through the coach, face to face.

Can teacher Ortega go to the World Cup?

We have a good relationship with Profe, and also with Atlético de Madrid. We had an agreement, that he came for the Qualifiers. Naturally, qualifying for the World Cup stirred up a lot of emotions for everyone, including him. All I can say is that I am very happy that he joined us in the Qualifiers. He is a very helpful person. Time will tell what happens later. That’s all I can say for now. We have very, very much respect for Profe, but we also have very, very much respect for Atlético de Madrid. So out of respect for both of them, I prefer not to give any kind of opinion, except to tell the story of what happened.

Can Giménez be the captain?

If Josema can be captain without Godín? Surely it could be him, because there are many more as an option, the day Diego (Godín) is not as captain. But now the captain of the national team is Godín. This was a recurring question in January (when Diego Alonso took over as Uruguay coach). I answered at the time the captain knew, and so did I. And I didn’t need to say it because the captain ended up being Diego. And this time it was the same. The captain knows who the captain is. Diego in this case.

Are you excited to go for the maximum?

The illusion of the World Cup is clear. We go for the maximum, but it’s not the most important thing right now. We’ve said it and we don’t need to repeat it all the time. The key is to prepare well. I’ve always focused that way in my personal and professional life. What do we want to be? So let’s get ready. Is it wrong to say that you want to reach someone? No, what is wrong is not preparing to do it. And if you don’t make it to the end, you don’t have to regret it, because you gave everything to achieve it.

What position is best for Fede Valverde?

He is a complete player. You can play in many positions. In fact, when he was at Castilla, he came to play as a central defender. At Real Madrid he played as a right-back, a right-wing midfielder, he played in containment, he played as a midfielder, he played inside. Also left hand drive. Its ready. I don’t see him playing badly at almost any position. Certainly what matters, unlike the position, is that the game should be close to him. The game, more than the ball. And that has nothing to do with position. It depends on how the team plays.

Is this a World Cup hinge between generations?

Exactly the same thing happens in all World Cups. There is always someone who doesn’t go to the next one and other people who gain strength. That’s why I don’t see this Cup differently. Certainly for some it will be their last World Cup, and others are newbies. I don’t look at it from there. I observe the capacity of the players I have, how many minutes each of them can help us. If possible at the start or entry into the game. And the youngest, how many minutes are they ready to play?

Did you talk to Master Tabarez?

When I took over, I talked to him, and then we had contact with his coaching staff. They made themselves available at all times. All the doubts we had about the organization and about a World Cup we took it from them. If he goes back to talk to Master Tabárez? We’ve talked to the coaching staff in general, and we’re very grateful for how they’ve opened doors for us.

Do referees check?

Before the games, when doing the review, we check the referees. What features do they have? Whether they are more card holders or not. If they let it play a little more, or not. Whether in the first plays they usually advise or not. What are their names? What is your nickname? And so with the rival team, individually, collectively, and their coach. We need to know everything. Knowing the referee’s name is not the same as not knowing it, when talking to him. And if you have to call him by his last name, and you can call him by a nickname. These are tools we can give footballers.

How do you make the most of the time between FIFA breaks?

In Qualifiers, to shorten the time, we use zoom meetings with them. To raise the situation between one game and another. (Uruguay shut down the South American Qualifiers between January, February and March). Now, during their vacations we leave them very quiet, and then during their preseason, so that everyone can fight for their position and their status in each club. Now, closer to this date, we contacted them again.

What will the preparation for the World Cup be like?

In this World Cup, unlike the previous ones, we don’t have 25 days for the players. It will be 7 days, not more than 8 days. So what we did was split that preparation, between the days we had in the United States (at the beginning of June, with matches against Mexico and the United States), Vienna (now in September, with matches against in Iran and Canada) and days before the World. And also, we use the zoom, to review what we have learned from them. By positions or by lines.

Will it be a different World Cup because of the date?

In terms of form, the players will definitely come into the World Cup better than before (because they did it at the end of the season). They will definitely be more dynamic. They hold a preseason, and after three months they participate in a World Cup. We have a deficit, as a coach, we are still relatively new. We have been in office for nine months. So far, we have only been with the players three times. And other technicians, they have maybe 20, 30 times.