Cassierra: Joining Atlético, settling in and Sampaoli’s demands

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·29 January 2026

Cassierra: Joining Atlético, settling in and Sampaoli’s demands

The Colombian forward Mateo Cassierra was officially introduced as a new player for Atlético on the afternoon of this Thursday (29), in a press conference held at Arena MRV. In his first interview wearing the black-and-white jersey, the player talked about the complicated negotiation to join the club, the adaptation process, conversations with Jorge Sampaoli, and the differences between Brazilian and Russian football.

Right from the start, Cassierra emphasized that the negotiation with Galo was not simple, but he highlighted his happiness in wearing the club's jersey: “It was very difficult to get here at Galo. It was a very tough negotiation, but my family and I are happy. Since I arrived here, on the first day, it was very good. I have new teammates and, in my opinion, the most important thing is to have a good adaptation. I still have a lot to learn about the club, but everything is going very well”, he stated.

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The forward also commented on his desire to play for Atlético since the first contacts and revealed important conversations with Douglas Santos, Zenit's full-back and Copa do Brasil champion with Galo:

Since the club's first contact, I only thought: ‘I really want to go to Galo, I want to be happy’. I knew it wouldn't be easy, but I believed everything would work out. I talked to my wife, and she wanted to know more about the club, so I spoke with Douglas Santos' wife. I also talked to him, and they both only told me good things. For me, all of this was important.

Cassierra also revealed that he has already had conversations with coach Jorge Sampaoli and explained what the Argentine coach expects from him on the field: “I talked to him, and with each training session, he wants the players to be aggressive, with and without the ball. I played at Zenit, and the game there is quite different from here. Here, you have to be more aggressive. He asked me for that, and I will try to always give my 100%”, said the Colombian, before detailing his characteristics.

I am a player who really likes to move out (of the area) and participate in the game. That is part of my characteristic. It's true that the team needs a number 9, and for that, I need to have a good adaptation. Playing in Russia is very different from playing here, but I am ready, with a lot of desire and motivation.

Finally, the new Galo jersey talked about the differences between the Russian and Brazilian football calendars, highlighting the high number of games in Brazil: “The number of games in Russia is much lower, here we play much more. So the most important thing is to always be 100%. Here we play almost 80 games a year, and we have to be physically prepared for that”, he explained.

Cassierra also mentioned that he gave up part of the pre-season to speed up his arrival at Atlético, making it clear that he is not yet in his best physical shape:

Football in Russia stops in December, and I was on vacation. When they returned to training, I stayed because I wanted to get to Galo quickly. I missed almost a week and a half of training, but I am improving every day.”

Atlético now turns its attention to the next commitment. On Saturday (31), Galo faces Pouso Alegre in the Campeonato Mineiro. As for the Brasileirão, the team will be back on the field on Wednesday (04), when they face Red Bull Bragantino in Bragança Paulista. Already in the BID, Cassierra can debut when the physical preparation and coach Jorge Sampaoli decide.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.