Radamel Falcao García in 22 years of career has scored more than 300 goals, is the top scorer of the Colombian National Team with 35 annotations and is close to returning to a top league in Europe if his transfer to Rayo Vallecano is confirmed. Tigre's experience and professionalism is reflected in each statement he gave to the Spanish cultural magazine Líbero, where he defined what makes him different from others. “My perseverance, my faith, believing that things are going to work out. That is my strong point.” Atlético and Porto have given him the happiest moments.
El Tigre at 35 years of age continues to be authentic on and off the field, as he told how the 1994 World Cup in the United States helped him understand the importance of an event of this magnitude and how difficult it was for Colombia to live a time marked by the violence. “The 1994 World Cup marked a lot for us Colombians, It was the first that I could see but above all understand the magnitude of a World Cup. We were all affected by Escobar's death… All that marked a before and after “.
Influence of football in Falcao's life
His professional debut was on August 28, 1999 playing for Lanceros with 13 years and 213 days. Falcao from his name represents football as his father Radamel wanted it, who put it in homage to the historic Brazilian of the 80s and was also a professional player in the country and Venezuela. For the Tiger, the footballer does not always evade the reality that surrounds him and understanding that not everyone has the same opportunities leads him to value things more.
“Can be, I would not specify so much in footballers but in anyone who has a higher purchasing power than the common and is not so aware of the reality of the majority. It seems that footballers are the most visible face in this matter, but there are many who live in their bubble. It is up to each person, in the way they take the compliments, to live this life. The footballer's is dizzying and often prevents him from sitting down and thinking. But there are players who have family members, friends who are not having a very good time, who are not going through a situation as comfortable as mine, and that helps me to value what I have and above all, to be grateful for it. ”
Grow different from others to be a professional
“I was always from one place to another, from a very young age I was a foreigner everywhere, the new one in the schools… All that was a stage of preparation for what was to come later. I lived it through my father and that was what I also wanted for my life. I had a preparation to live in Argentina, Spain … And have a faster adaptation “.
In addition, he added that he was clear that he wanted to be a professional, where perseverance prevailed to achieve it. “I was convinced that I wanted to be a professional, but you are never sure that you will achieve it, I saw many more talented than me who fell by the wayside. In this, work is superimposed, perseverance over talent. He was very clear about what he wanted, perhaps others were not so clear about it and were deviating from the goal. “
Injury to get stronger
In 2006 he suffered a severe ligament injury in his right knee as a River Plate player, for the striker it is the most difficult he has had, surpassing the one that took him out of the 2014 World Cup that had been on the left, a blow that put him to doubt his faith, but he always found the answer in God. “In life you will not always go well, and that is when sometimes I have questioned my faith. I asked myself over and over again why I had to go through that. But I learned that situations like this occur to correct or improve something in my life. It is a personal task to find out which one. In the end I always get the answer. “
“(The 2006 injury) That was very complex, the most difficult I've had. Luckily my parents were already living with me in Argentina and it was easier, but there was always the uncertainty of how it would turn out. He was young and took it with optimism, always wanting to get ahead. I worked a lot, it was hard for me to come back, settle in … It was very difficult, not only because of the time I was away but because afterwards it was difficult for me to feel comfortable playing football again. I did not feel in harmony with myself, as if something in my body had changed. It took a year and a half almost two to feel perfect. “
Porto and Atlético, where he has been happiest
He has 11 titles in Europe, 10 of them he got between Porto and Atlético de Madrid, special places for the Colombian for what he obtained and the marks he left. “I have enjoyed in all places. At every stage of my life I have been, regardless of whether I felt fulfilled or not in my profession. Perhaps the most joyous moments of my career were in Europe, both in Porto and at Atlético de Madrid. It made me feel very proud of everything I achieved there. “
In the Colchonero he played 91 games and scored 70 goals, despite that. “I knew it was very difficult to stay because of the sports project and the economic moment they were going through. There was always talk that they had to sell me at the end of the season so I immediately realized. After four months I already knew that I would not be there for long. “.
The worst of football and what it looks like in the future
Defend the player, the slogan of the Colombian who understands that soccer is like the stock market. “Precisely what people are made to believe, the idea of the world of football that is transmitted. The healthiest of all this are the footballers, I have it very clear. They always sell that we are the most dangerous, but in reality the people who run football are. Soccer is like the stock market. They are responsible for lying about what happens in the market. The reality is different. “
Radamel is clear that the footballer does not own his destiny. “Sometimes it makes me laugh when people ask me why I didn't go here or why didn't I stay there, as if the footballer could decide where to work. And I would say to some journalists, why don't you work at CNN or ESPN? It is the same as in soccer. You rarely have the options to go one way or the other. I have lived situations in which I have not been able to live what I have wanted, many times. I want to go to one place and in the end I have to go to another. “
In 25 years, the national team's top scorer looks like “Maybe a businessman, a businessman but not a football player, maybe in Colombia”. The Tiger represents the fight that must never be missed to stop fulfilling dreams.