Álvaro García is sweet, but he is not from now. Already last season he dazzled in Vallecas and has not lost an iota of spark in Primera. He has a goal and many other things. Some were already uncovered by Cervera in Cádiz and others, Iraola in Rayo. From one stage to another he lived with the weight of being the most expensive signing in the history of the Strip, a label that has already been shaken. This was a liberation and his partnership with Fran gave way to the Garcia, a fundamental duo for the ascent that makes its way into the elite. That child, who did not give up on the ball and had a reference to Reyes, dreamed of standing out. Now no one would have been surprised to come across his name on Luis Enrique's latest list. The left-handed winger perfectly embodies the ideology of the fashion team, a Rayo in European positions, who thinks big without taking his feet off the ground …
“Lightning is in fashion.”
-We are very happy. Things are going like this because there is a lot of work behind it. The team knows perfectly what it has to do in each moment and situation. If you have to get in to defend behind, play against or have the ball… we do it. It's fundamental.
– Do you feel the enthusiasm of the fans with this 'EuroRayo'?
—We notice that atmosphere, that joy. After having spent two seasons in the Second Division, moving up and seeing ourselves in those positions is strange. We deserve it. The team is playing well, competing incredible … For dreaming that it does not remain, although we must be realistic and fight for our goal first. Permanence is the most important thing and the more points we achieve at the beginning, the better. Then it is more difficult.
—Another incentive is the arrival of Falcao.
—He has come with a lot of desire and has been seen in the matches, how he fights, how he asks for it … In addition, he has a goal. For us it is nice to play with someone of his level and it is also a challenge. Everything he does has a lot of repercussion and that is good for the club. Now many Colombians come to the countryside, people in disguise … It's nice to see that.
“It's nice to play with someone like Falcao, but also a challenge”
– So was the reception of the fans before the last game against Cádiz …
—We really wanted the fans to come to Vallecas. Last playoff there was already some audience and, from playing without anyone to doing it in front of a few, you could tell the difference. That gives us life. We feel that when our strength fails, they support us … It is the essence of football.
—The players have taken a step forward and are getting involved in the problems of the fans with the issue of season tickets …
—If every time there is a game there are no tickets, because there are going to be queues, disaster when it comes to selling tickets … Hopefully they will soon be released. We need people and we want them to be happy, to go to enjoy the stadium with their season ticket and their usual seat.
—How do you experience a rise in the middle of a pandemic?
—The happiness of the promotion is the same, but the celebration does change. I went to Segunda with Cádiz and it was crazy, with the people in the street and others. This time we have not been able to go to the Source and you have that thorn.
– It was precisely Cádiz, one of the teams of his life, that he scored on the last day.
“It meant a lot to me.” I took a big step in my career. I did not know what level I could reach until I did not coincide with Cervera. He told me exactly what he wanted and taught me how to exploit my strengths. So I was able to make the leap to Rayo as the most expensive signing …
“Was it pressure?”
—At first, no, since I had just arrived, I didn't feel that way, but when things didn't work out, it came to my mind and they reminded me everywhere. There it did cost. Luckily, last year I took all the weight off my shoulders.
“Now how are you personally?”
—I feel good, with confidence and marking, that perhaps it was something that was failing me a little more. And every time I do it, Falcao arrives and equals me (laughs).
—Iraola's proposal has come like a glove …
-Totally. The coach asks for things that come in handy for me: go to the spaces, give depth … All of this conforms to my characteristics. With the previous systems it cost me more. Iraola allows me to be very vertical.
“This team knows exactly what to do on the field at all times”
—From his connection with Fran were born the Garcia…
—We understand each other very well, we know what each one has to do when we see the other's movements. We help each other a lot. I do it in defense and he, in attack. This wardrobe is a pineapple and competing like that is easier.
“Tell me about your first steps in Utrera.”
“It's a good quarry.” There are several teams of children and if you don't play in Utrera, which is the main one, you have two or three more. That makes so many footballers come out. My reference and that of the majority was Reyes, because of how he was, because of what he achieved …
“And does soccer run in your family?”
“My father played as a forward, not at a high level, but everyone in town says he was good.” He was right-handed. An uncle of mine, on his mother's side, was in the lower categories of Betis and he was a left-handed man like me. It is because of my family that the bug is born. At school I played soccer, finished and went down with friends to continue playing… I spent practically all day with the ball.
—And let's jump from the past to the future. Do you see yours in Vallecas?
“Right now there have been no talks to renew … But I'm focused and happy here.”