Kun Agüero: “Derbies are always special for the team and for the fans”
“Real Madrid is a strong opponent and is unforgiving”
In the lead-up to such an important match with so much impact, such as the one that Atlético de Madrid will play this Saturday (10 pm) against Real Madrid, Sergio Kun Agüero reviewed the current state of the ‘rojiblanco’ side. The Spanish-Argentine tackled a large number of topics before receiving José Mourinho’s squad at the Estadio Vicente Calderón.
Kun is one of the reference points of the team and the stands. The Atleti supporters acknowledge his effort on the pitch and that’s something that fills him with satisfaction. He’s aware that he has to make full use of his potential, but knows that he’s on the right path. At just 22 years of age, he will turn 23 in June, he’s reached footballing maturity at Atlético de Madrid. He’s seen this club grow as an elite footballer and as a person, and has a great deal of appreciation for it.
The Atlético striker admitted in statements made to the Club web page that “we know that we’re having an inconsistent season. We started off well, but there have been some ups-and-downs. I think that the important thing in this league is to not lose points and now we’re strung together a streak in which we’re not losing. It’s true that we’re a bit bothered by the draw in Almería, but we got something, which is fundamental. We hope that that point helps us reach European spots at the end of the season.”
The derby against Real Madrid is always a special match and the Atlético players know that. Just days before welcoming their cross-town rivals at the Calderón´, Kun assured that “it doesn’t matter in what kind of form you go into a game like that; they’re always special matches for both teams. It’s going to be a tough match in which we’ll have to give our all on the pitch.
“A derby is always different; you always experience it in a different way. The stadium is going to be full and that’s a factor that will play in our favour. Football is traitorous and you never know what might happen, but we’re going to fight till the end to earn the three points, which would allow us to keep battling with those above us,” assured the Atlético de Madrid footballer.
As President Enrique Cerezo commented during the week, this would be a good chance to break the poor run of the squad from the Manzanares against their rivals. “I’ve been able to experience everything in the derbies I’ve played in. We’ve played some matches in which we played a great game and in the end the points got away from us, but those things happen. We have to turn that situation around. We’re going to try to finish well in front of Iker’s goal. Real Madrid are unforgiving and we have that in mind,” he stated.
Mourinho’s squad has great players such as Casillas, Cristiano Ronaldo, Di María or Özil, but Kun highlighted that “we also form a good squad. We showed that last year by winning two titles. We have to be very focused against Real Madrid and not make mistakes. When the contest ends we have to be able to go into the dressing room satisfied with having fulfilled our duty, regardless of the result.”
Kun Agüero’s quality is beyond all doubts. For this reason, many of the biggest clubs in Europe, including Real Madrid, have praised the innate skills of the footballer. “You’re always appreciative that important clubs are interested in you. Lots of comments have arisen regarding my future, but I’m relaxed, and all of that doesn’t affect me. I’m honest with myself and I know that each time I play I give everything I have for this club. I’ll do it again on Saturday. It’s not a game that’s more special for me than for other teammates. I want to stay at Atlético de Madrid as long as I can. I signed until 2014 and I hope that I’m here until then. I’ll try to keep winning titles here because that’s the aspiration of every player,” he stressed.
“I’ve always said the same thing, and I’ll continue to say it. I’m very comfortable at this club. When I’m not, I’ll say it and I’ll say that I want to leave. I focus on doing things well for the club and for the team. We’re at a time when we need to earn points and climb spots to reach our goals. Since I arrived, the people here have shown great affection towards me and I always try to return it to them on the pitch. I truly value the support the fans have given me here in the good and the bad times. I have teammates, coaches and a club that back me and you have to be thankful for that. All of them, especially Enrique Cerezo, employees and supporters, have made me feel very comfortable, even during my presentation,” he underscored.
Agüero knows that he’s at a big club with a huge media impact both nationally and internationally. The player from Buenos Aires recalls his first steps as a ‘colchonero’ affectionately and longingly. “I’ve always been treated well here. I remember when Miguel Ángel (Gil Marín) went to Argentina to sign my contract, it all went so quickly. He was very natural and close with me. The directors always behave differently there. The club has given me everything since I arrived in Madrid and that’s why I’m very happy here. It feels like I’ve played here since I was a kid, like when I was at Independiente. I’ve always felt at home,” he emphasized.
Kun spoke openly about the team’s upcoming goals and said that “we have to be realistic and we know that Champions will be very difficult to reach, but we’re not going to throw in the towel, we have to believe and have confidence. Champions League has always been our first goal, but we can’t leave the Europa League on the side. Our immediate goal is to grab a stronghold of a European spot. Playing well or poorly, the squad has to win. We can’t stop earning points down this home stretch of La Liga.
The Group has to be united and strong to improve. At this point in the season we need all the affection from our public. It’s tough to focus on the match when your fans are whistling a teammate. All of us players want the supporters to show us their support. I remember in the return leg Cup fixture against Recreativo. We were coming off a very adverse result, but we turned the qualifying tie around thanks to the unconditional support of our fans. I’d ask the people to stay on our side. We have ten matches left and we have to stick together for all of them. We can’t have divisions. When people support us they breathe life into us and they can make final conclusions about the team in June when everything is done,” he asserted.
Little-by-little, Kun Agüero has been breaking records with the red-and-white jersey, but the forward doesn’t want to slow down his growth. “Over the course of these years, I’ve learned so much both on and off the field. Things in my life have happened that have made me grow up. When I arrived, I was a child, and I’ve gained experience. I think that’s why my teammates selected me as one of the captains and the truth is that I’m very pleased. It makes me proud to share the captaincy with Antonio (López) and Forlán. I think that any player would like to wear their team’s armband. The three of us captains are the ones who have to carry the weight of the group to move this forward,” he commented.
The Atlético de Madrid striker doesn’t want to place a roof on his progress. His numbers have slowly increased. These colours have made him feel proud of the records he’s broken. In his fifth season as a ‘rojiblanco’, Sergio has scored a total of 92 goals, surpassing one of the most well-loved players by the Calderón faithful, Fernando Torres.
Agüero has tallied 65 goals in La Liga, 20 in European competitions and 7 in the Copa del Rey. In his first season, the Spanish-Argentine notched 6 league goals and one in the Cup against Levante; in 2007/2008 he increased his goal-scoring baggage to 19 league goals, two in the Cup against Valladolid and 6 in the UEFA Cup; in 2008/09 he scored 17 league goals, without scoring in the Cup, but did score in Champions League (1 in the qualifiers and 3 during the actual competition); in 2009/10 Agüero tallied 12 goals in La Liga, 1 in the Cup against Recreativo de Huelva and 6 in Europe (two in the Champions qualifier, two in Champions and two in the Europa League); last season Kun scored 11 in league run, 3 in Cup (2 against Universidad de Las Palmas and 1 against Espanyol) and 4 in Europe (3 in the Europa League and 1 in the SuperCup final).
The striker wants to leave his mark at the ‘rojiblanco’ club, just players such as Manolo, Kiko, Futre or Torres did. Kun shared one season with ‘El Niño’ and recalls one of the best forwards in Europe with affection and admiration. “I always work for the team; I like to score goals because that helps the group. The truth is that I don’t pay attention to whether or not I set records. It makes me proud to share an important place in the laurels of the club with someone like Fernando. I spent one year with him and it was very special. When I was in Argentina I always heard people talking about ‘El Niño Torres’,” he said.
“I like people to have fun with my football. Every player is different; I think that they’re qualities that you’re born with. When I played in the ‘barrio’ when I was six, I played like this, up to a certain point (laughs),” he stated.
Concerning the goal-scoring capacity that he forms with Uruguayan Forlán, Sergio Agüero commented that “people have gotten used to seeing lots of goals from Forlán and me. It’s normal that when neither of us scores for a few weeks people ask what’s going on, but that’s football. Both Diego and I do everything possible to score. Diego scores more than fifteen goals every season and that’s a reality. Both of us want to score to help the team and when we don’t do that it’s normal for us to get upset with ourselves. We want what’s good for the group,” he highlighted.
To finish, the Atleti ‘10’ wanted to appeal, once again, to the unity of everyone to approach the final weeks of La Liga. “People have to understand that we’re going to leave it all on the pitch against Real Madrid and the rest of the opponents. If we lose a game, we can’t get down because another one comes right afterwards. We need the support from the stands because, for us, as I’ve said before, it’s vital, the opposite would be detrimental to us,” he concluded.
Kun is one of the reference points of the team and the stands. The Atleti supporters acknowledge his effort on the pitch and that’s something that fills him with satisfaction. He’s aware that he has to make full use of his potential, but knows that he’s on the right path. At just 22 years of age, he will turn 23 in June, he’s reached footballing maturity at Atlético de Madrid. He’s seen this club grow as an elite footballer and as a person, and has a great deal of appreciation for it.
The Atlético striker admitted in statements made to the Club web page that “we know that we’re having an inconsistent season. We started off well, but there have been some ups-and-downs. I think that the important thing in this league is to not lose points and now we’re strung together a streak in which we’re not losing. It’s true that we’re a bit bothered by the draw in Almería, but we got something, which is fundamental. We hope that that point helps us reach European spots at the end of the season.”
The derby against Real Madrid is always a special match and the Atlético players know that. Just days before welcoming their cross-town rivals at the Calderón´, Kun assured that “it doesn’t matter in what kind of form you go into a game like that; they’re always special matches for both teams. It’s going to be a tough match in which we’ll have to give our all on the pitch.
“A derby is always different; you always experience it in a different way. The stadium is going to be full and that’s a factor that will play in our favour. Football is traitorous and you never know what might happen, but we’re going to fight till the end to earn the three points, which would allow us to keep battling with those above us,” assured the Atlético de Madrid footballer.
As President Enrique Cerezo commented during the week, this would be a good chance to break the poor run of the squad from the Manzanares against their rivals. “I’ve been able to experience everything in the derbies I’ve played in. We’ve played some matches in which we played a great game and in the end the points got away from us, but those things happen. We have to turn that situation around. We’re going to try to finish well in front of Iker’s goal. Real Madrid are unforgiving and we have that in mind,” he stated.
Mourinho’s squad has great players such as Casillas, Cristiano Ronaldo, Di María or Özil, but Kun highlighted that “we also form a good squad. We showed that last year by winning two titles. We have to be very focused against Real Madrid and not make mistakes. When the contest ends we have to be able to go into the dressing room satisfied with having fulfilled our duty, regardless of the result.”
Kun Agüero’s quality is beyond all doubts. For this reason, many of the biggest clubs in Europe, including Real Madrid, have praised the innate skills of the footballer. “You’re always appreciative that important clubs are interested in you. Lots of comments have arisen regarding my future, but I’m relaxed, and all of that doesn’t affect me. I’m honest with myself and I know that each time I play I give everything I have for this club. I’ll do it again on Saturday. It’s not a game that’s more special for me than for other teammates. I want to stay at Atlético de Madrid as long as I can. I signed until 2014 and I hope that I’m here until then. I’ll try to keep winning titles here because that’s the aspiration of every player,” he stressed.
“I’ve always said the same thing, and I’ll continue to say it. I’m very comfortable at this club. When I’m not, I’ll say it and I’ll say that I want to leave. I focus on doing things well for the club and for the team. We’re at a time when we need to earn points and climb spots to reach our goals. Since I arrived, the people here have shown great affection towards me and I always try to return it to them on the pitch. I truly value the support the fans have given me here in the good and the bad times. I have teammates, coaches and a club that back me and you have to be thankful for that. All of them, especially Enrique Cerezo, employees and supporters, have made me feel very comfortable, even during my presentation,” he underscored.
Agüero knows that he’s at a big club with a huge media impact both nationally and internationally. The player from Buenos Aires recalls his first steps as a ‘colchonero’ affectionately and longingly. “I’ve always been treated well here. I remember when Miguel Ángel (Gil Marín) went to Argentina to sign my contract, it all went so quickly. He was very natural and close with me. The directors always behave differently there. The club has given me everything since I arrived in Madrid and that’s why I’m very happy here. It feels like I’ve played here since I was a kid, like when I was at Independiente. I’ve always felt at home,” he emphasized.
Kun spoke openly about the team’s upcoming goals and said that “we have to be realistic and we know that Champions will be very difficult to reach, but we’re not going to throw in the towel, we have to believe and have confidence. Champions League has always been our first goal, but we can’t leave the Europa League on the side. Our immediate goal is to grab a stronghold of a European spot. Playing well or poorly, the squad has to win. We can’t stop earning points down this home stretch of La Liga.
The Group has to be united and strong to improve. At this point in the season we need all the affection from our public. It’s tough to focus on the match when your fans are whistling a teammate. All of us players want the supporters to show us their support. I remember in the return leg Cup fixture against Recreativo. We were coming off a very adverse result, but we turned the qualifying tie around thanks to the unconditional support of our fans. I’d ask the people to stay on our side. We have ten matches left and we have to stick together for all of them. We can’t have divisions. When people support us they breathe life into us and they can make final conclusions about the team in June when everything is done,” he asserted.
Little-by-little, Kun Agüero has been breaking records with the red-and-white jersey, but the forward doesn’t want to slow down his growth. “Over the course of these years, I’ve learned so much both on and off the field. Things in my life have happened that have made me grow up. When I arrived, I was a child, and I’ve gained experience. I think that’s why my teammates selected me as one of the captains and the truth is that I’m very pleased. It makes me proud to share the captaincy with Antonio (López) and Forlán. I think that any player would like to wear their team’s armband. The three of us captains are the ones who have to carry the weight of the group to move this forward,” he commented.
The Atlético de Madrid striker doesn’t want to place a roof on his progress. His numbers have slowly increased. These colours have made him feel proud of the records he’s broken. In his fifth season as a ‘rojiblanco’, Sergio has scored a total of 92 goals, surpassing one of the most well-loved players by the Calderón faithful, Fernando Torres.
Agüero has tallied 65 goals in La Liga, 20 in European competitions and 7 in the Copa del Rey. In his first season, the Spanish-Argentine notched 6 league goals and one in the Cup against Levante; in 2007/2008 he increased his goal-scoring baggage to 19 league goals, two in the Cup against Valladolid and 6 in the UEFA Cup; in 2008/09 he scored 17 league goals, without scoring in the Cup, but did score in Champions League (1 in the qualifiers and 3 during the actual competition); in 2009/10 Agüero tallied 12 goals in La Liga, 1 in the Cup against Recreativo de Huelva and 6 in Europe (two in the Champions qualifier, two in Champions and two in the Europa League); last season Kun scored 11 in league run, 3 in Cup (2 against Universidad de Las Palmas and 1 against Espanyol) and 4 in Europe (3 in the Europa League and 1 in the SuperCup final).
The striker wants to leave his mark at the ‘rojiblanco’ club, just players such as Manolo, Kiko, Futre or Torres did. Kun shared one season with ‘El Niño’ and recalls one of the best forwards in Europe with affection and admiration. “I always work for the team; I like to score goals because that helps the group. The truth is that I don’t pay attention to whether or not I set records. It makes me proud to share an important place in the laurels of the club with someone like Fernando. I spent one year with him and it was very special. When I was in Argentina I always heard people talking about ‘El Niño Torres’,” he said.
“I like people to have fun with my football. Every player is different; I think that they’re qualities that you’re born with. When I played in the ‘barrio’ when I was six, I played like this, up to a certain point (laughs),” he stated.
Concerning the goal-scoring capacity that he forms with Uruguayan Forlán, Sergio Agüero commented that “people have gotten used to seeing lots of goals from Forlán and me. It’s normal that when neither of us scores for a few weeks people ask what’s going on, but that’s football. Both Diego and I do everything possible to score. Diego scores more than fifteen goals every season and that’s a reality. Both of us want to score to help the team and when we don’t do that it’s normal for us to get upset with ourselves. We want what’s good for the group,” he highlighted.
To finish, the Atleti ‘10’ wanted to appeal, once again, to the unity of everyone to approach the final weeks of La Liga. “People have to understand that we’re going to leave it all on the pitch against Real Madrid and the rest of the opponents. If we lose a game, we can’t get down because another one comes right afterwards. We need the support from the stands because, for us, as I’ve said before, it’s vital, the opposite would be detrimental to us,” he concluded.
