Sporting fan favourite had to be warned over aggression and temper | OneFootball

Maxi Araújo has been one of Sporting’s standout figures, and the progress of the Uruguay international does not surprise those who have known him since his youth days. Gustavo Ferreyra, former Uruguay under-20 coach, says the wing-back’s rise had long been expected and believes the player can reach even greater heights.

“Honestly, it’s nothing new to me. A player like Maxi, with his qualities, capable of playing as a full-back, a winger, and in a back three, covering the entire flank with the same determination and intensity, is not easy to find. That’s why I say he will certainly end up at one of the big clubs people are talking about,” Gustavo Ferreyra began. “I’ve known him since he was about 17. I worked with him at under-18, under-20 and under-23 level. The level he is showing does not surprise me. Even back then, he played as a winger for his club [Montevideo Wanderers] and as a left-back for the national team. He had, and still has, the physical and technical attributes to perform those roles without any problems. He is very versatile,” he added.

The former coach also recalled the importance of his move to Mexican football. “It was because of that versatility that he was signed by Puebla in Mexico. That experience did him a lot of good because it was from that moment that he gained independence, even financially, since his family was very humble,” he noted.

Ferreyra also explained the origin of the nickname and the strong personality of the Sporting player. “‘El Papo’ has several meanings, but we used it in the sense of someone with a very strong personality, brave. Mentally very strong, a real fortress in psychological terms. In fact, just as we have seen in the different challenges he has taken on throughout his career,” he said, before detailing a specific episode. “He was a very hot-headed player in training and we had to rein that in a little. I can even tell you that on the eve of a major international under-23 tournament, I took him to a restaurant and we had a private conversation precisely to talk about his temperament and the way he reacted in training. He was very aggressive, but he gradually got it under control... He understood the weight of my words and handled that aspect very well during the competition. It really was necessary to point out certain situations that needed to be corrected,” he explained.

The now technical coordinator of Boston River also linked that attitude to the player’s life circumstances. “That more temperamental style had to do with the very difficult financial situation they were living in. He came from a very humble family and grew up quickly. Even his style of play may be related to that. He is fearless, takes on opponents, and gets stuck in. He has tremendous power to cover the whole flank,” he concluded. Besides Maxi Araújo, his brother César Araújo is also a professional footballer, having played for Orlando City and currently representing Tigres.

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