Julián Alvarez: “I’m ready, I’m at 100%” | OneFootball

WOULD IT BE SMARTER NOT TO GO IN AS FAVORITES?

“People always talk about favorites. I think we’re only focused on what we have to do ourselves, being very clear about what we’re capable of, and that’s the only thing we’re going to focus on.”

HOW ARE YOU FEELING?

“Yes, I’m at 100%. After the final, it was a hard blow, because we had high hopes. We reached the Cup final, and today we’re in the Champions semis. We’re fighting for everything, although a bit further back in the league. Last year in March we were out of these competitions. To have come this far, we’re very proud. We have to bounce back from that blow, but we’re in the Champions semifinals and we’re going all out to reach the final.”

WHAT WOULD A PERFECT MATCH LOOK LIKE?

“A perfect match would be winning, obviously. But personally, I’m going to give everything I have to play a very good match and help the team. And win, because we want to play in the final.”

LEADERSHIP IN THE DRESSING ROOM

“It was a hard blow, it’s normal that it hurts, the excitement was huge and we wanted to be champions. These past few days we’ve talked as a group, we’ve talked about what we were feeling, about what’s left of the season, and the group is very strong and united, with a very clear objective. We have zero doubts

ARE THERE OTHER FACTORS THAT WEIGH ON YOU?

“No, I think we’re having a very good season. If we reach the final, we’ll play every match of the season. We’re focused on that, on who we are as a group, and we want to make history ourselves.”

PRESSURE AFTER LOSING THE CUP

“I think it’s part of every season’s objectives, trying to win. We reached the final and it didn’t happen because of small details. Pressure, none. We know what we’re capable of and we’re thinking about Wednesday’s match.”

JULIÁN’S FUTURE

“I try not to give too much importance to what people say. Every week new things come out and I don’t waste energy on that. I try to focus on the most important part of the season, on doing my best, being well myself, helping the team, and achieving big things here.”

HOW CAN YOU STOP THE TALK ABOUT YOUR FUTURE?

“I can’t keep coming out to clarify every single thing that comes up. I try not to give importance to what’s said on social media; it turns into a snowball of lies. I try not to waste energy on that, to be at 100% and help the team.”

STARTING THE TIE AT HOME

“It depends on how you look at it, it can be better or worse. This season we’ve had cases like Barcelona in the Cup, when we played the first match at home and got a favorable result. Then we’ve played away matches in the Champions League where we drew away and then won afterward. Beyond that, we have to stay focused on putting in a great performance. The first one is with our fans and if we go to London with an advantage, it’ll be much better. We’re clear about what we have to do, we have to be at 100% to try to reach the final.”

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