Paredes: Gago key to Boca return before World Cup, “My phone blew up” | OneFootball

In July, it will be one year since Leandro Paredes became Boca’s conductor. Time flies, but on the pitch, when he controls the ball and shields it with his body, everything seems to move at his pace. Since he put the blue and gold shirt back on, the club has once again looked like a contender in every tournament. And they have already won two Superclásicos in a row. The latest was last Sunday at the Monumental: a 1-0 win thanks to his penalty goal.

Whenever he gets the chance, the midfielder and captain thanks Juan Román Riquelme for placing so much faith in him. Although the Boca president is not the only one responsible for him leaving behind the luxuries and pleasures of Rome and returning to Argentine football.

This star-studded return, one season earlier than planned, happened thanks to a former Boca coach and, above all, a role model in Paredes’ position. “The plan was for it to happen after the World Cup. I think Fer Gago was one of the people who helped me make this decision much earlier,” he admitted on Davo Xeneize and Gastón Edul’s stream.

The five-hour time difference between Argentina and Italy was no obstacle for Pintita, who kept the pressure on day and night and tried to convince him to move to Buenos Aires. The same plan Paredes is now carrying out with Paulo Dybala. “My phone was blowing up. He would call Marita, call me. His wife would call my wife… Once I convinced her, we tried to come, but it didn’t happen and I ended up at Boca in June,” he said.

Although he arrived at the La Ribera side with a huge smile on his face, excited to be champion again and conquer the continent, it was not easy to change his life from one moment to the next, for either him or his whole family: “It was a long process. Conversations with my wife and my children, who are older now and understand. It wasn’t easy for them. Adapting to the country wasn’t easy. These days they are much better, but the truth is they had a really hard time.” And he concluded: “People see what you show on the outside, but behind closed doors things happen that keep you from being 100% focused on what you need to be focused on.”

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