Santiago Ascacibar opens up: his form, winning it all and applause at Boca | OneFootball

Santiago Ascacibar is living a dream moment. His arrival at Boca not only meant fulfilling a family dream, but also taking on the biggest challenge of his career. In a deep and intimate interview with the club’s official magazine, the midfielder opened his heart, analyzed the team’s current situation, his partnership in midfield, and made it clear what his greatest ambition is wearing the blue and gold shirt.

The impact of wearing the blue and gold colors is felt from day one, something the midfielder experienced firsthand. “Boca is a world of its own. People describe it to you, but living it is different. You have to be ready, because there are a lot of emotions in a very short time,” reflected the midfielder. Despite having only recently joined, he admitted that the intensity of the club distorts time: “Three months have passed since I arrived, but it feels like a lifetime. The fans are very demanding in a good way: there’s great intensity at all times.”

Santiago Ascacibar did a feature for the official magazine.

Far from feeling overwhelmed, the Ruso is enjoying every moment of this new stage: “From training sessions to every match, trip, outing, I really love everything that’s happening and I’m enjoying it a lot.” He also made clear that his return to Argentine football was a carefully considered decision after building a career abroad. “People always asked me when it was going to happen, and I think I arrived at the right time. I chose to come back quickly from Europe and I don’t regret it at all. I wanted to experience this adrenaline, our football,” he said.

That same adrenaline was something he brought into the locker room from the moment he stepped into Brandsen 805, making his objective clear. “I came with that mindset, with that goal. I thought: I’m going to the biggest club in Argentina and I have to give it my best with all the tools I’ve been adding since I was a kid,” he said. His conviction was so strong that his message to the squad was direct: “I told the guys on the first day when I arrived: 'We have a team to become champions'.”

His partnership with Paredes and the team

To maintain that status as a contender, the team’s performance is vital, and the midfield plays a central role there. When speaking about his teammates, Ascacibar was full of praise for Leandro Paredes, with whom he has built special chemistry.

“Playing with Lean makes everything much easier, it’s obvious to anyone who watches football,” he said. For the Ruso, the world champion has a privileged vision of the game: “Leandro sees everything. He plays from a vantage point as if he were doing it from a drone. With my style of play, I have to stay alert because with one movement, those kinds of players see you and put you through.”

Conversation between Paredes, Ascacibar and Úbeda during a Boca training session.

Beyond individual talent, he valued the group work and the squad’s tactical adaptation. “We’re adjusting really well. Modern football demands that you press, play, be dynamic, and have the necessary composure,” he analyzed, and concluded on the subject: “It’s not just the midfield: it’s the group that’s coming together.”

The clásicos and the energy of La Bombonera

That group solidity will be essential in facing the hottest matches, settings in which Ascacibar feels comfortable. “I like clásicos because they shape your personality,” he said firmly. For the midfielder, these matches are the ultimate test: “They’re games that end up giving you that composure of personality, of character... you have to be at 100% all the time, fully locked in.”

Santiago Ascacibar has played just 16 matches so far and scored 3 goals.

That connection with the intensity of the game feeds off the energy from the stands, something he has already experienced firsthand. “Celebrating the goal against Barcelona at La Bombonera gave me so many beautiful feelings because of the fans’ euphoria... The supporters have a very positive energy that spreads,” he recalled emotionally.

The role models and the dreams still to fulfill

The midfielder’s Boca DNA began at home. His family roots built his passion for the club and shaped his professional path. “My family instilled in me hard work, sacrifice, and humility,” he confessed.

He also revealed the shared passion that binds them: “I come from a Boca-crazy family. As a kid we often went to the stands at La Bombonera... and now they’re incredibly happy to see me here.” He even recalled a historic club idol who marked his childhood through his father’s stories: “My old man talked to us whenever he could about Giunta and what he represents for Boca.”

Ascacibar dreams of La Bombonera singing him a Giunta-style chant.

With that legacy on his shoulders, when it comes to talking about sporting goals, the midfielder holds nothing back: “My dream is to win everything at this club: the league, the Copa Argentina, the Libertadores, the other tournament, the annual one, and the two finals.” However, he keeps his feet on the ground, warning that “this isn’t about how it starts, but how it ends,” and that the only path to success “is work and never settling.” Aware of the self-demand involved, he stressed that “it’s not easy to win after winning... that’s where a player’s humility becomes key.”

The Ruso, who through commitment and sacrifice is already starting to win over the fans, confessed his greatest personal wish at the Temple, echoing what used to happen with the idol: “Hopefully one day they’ll sing ‘Ruso, Ruso, Ruso, Guts, Guts, Guts’ at La Bombonera.”

Meanwhile, now the engine of the team, he ended the interview with a smile by joking about his “warrior” role on the pitch and how his family experiences it: “They’ll definitely like it if I bring the swords, the shield, and the helmet home now, haha.”

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