Sergio Aguero – Modern Football’s Che Guevara
Manchester City’s latest high profile signing, Sergio Aguero, has already proclaimed to be modern football‘s Che Guevara and is hungry for titles at his new club. The 35 million pounds striker from Atletico Madrid promises to give it his all and be a part of what he calls ‘A Revolution’ at Eastlands. Here are some facts from his personal and professional life which you would or wouldn’t have heard off!
1. Early Years- Baby ‘kum kum’ is born!
Sergio Leonel “Kun” Aguero del Castillo was born on 2 June 1988 in Quilmes, Argentina. His mother Adriana was a housewife and his father Leonel, a taxi driver. There’s was a poor family with 7 children, but the economic and financial help received by him to shape his career as a professional footballer did wonders and took him a long way to the now staggering $300000 per week he will receive at City! He was given the nick name “kun” by his grandparents who thought he resembled the Japanese anime character “kum kum”.
2. The Different Sibling.
Kun was the 2nd child of the seven, but unlike his siblings Yesica, Gabriela, Maira, Daiana, Mauritius and Gaston, he took the name of his mother, ie, Aguero and not Del Castillo from his father. Kun started embracing the beautiful game at a very young age and used to play on the streets of ‘Villa Itali’, a pitch in his local neighbourhood. This, he said was a very important time in his life as it helped develop his skills. He joined the junior team of Club Atletico Independiente aged 9.
3. Independiente and the U-20 World Cups.
Sergio became the youngest ever player to debut in the Argentine First Division at the age of 15 years and 35 days when he played for Club Atletico Independiente on 5 July 2003, breaking the record previously set by the great Diego Maradona in 1976. His graceful and steady performances earned him a place in Argentina’s winning squad for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2005. He won the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball scoring 6 times in 7 matches in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2007 in Canada.
4. The Famous Goal.
Agüero’s most famous goal for Independiente came on 11 September 2005 in a 4–0 win against Racing Club de Avellaneda, where he ran from inside his own half before finishing with his left foot, leaving the fans absolutely stunned! This goal attracted a lot of attention from Europe and also drew comparisons to Maradona’s famous goal against England. In april 2006, he ended the speculation of his future by publicly announcing his desire to leave the Argentine club at the end of the season.
5. The European Dream Begins…
In May 2006 Agüero signed for Spanish club Atlético Madrid for an undisclosed fee, reported to be around €23 million, breaking the club’s previous transfer record. Controversy erupted early in his Vicente Calderon days when he scored his second goal for them with his hands ( again drawing comparisons to Mr. Diego! ) Later seasons saw some fantastic performances and a prolific strike force with Fernando Torres and Diego Forlan which saw the club qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in 10 years. Subsequently they won the inaugral UEFA Europa League thanks to Kun Aguero’s double assists in the final against free flying Fulham.
6. Related to Maradona FINALLY!
At the end of 2007, Aguero started dating Giannina Maradona, the youngest daughter of the legendary Diego Maradona and tied the knot soon after. On 19 February 2009, Giannina gave birth to a son, Benjamin in Madrid. Maradona was there for the birth of his first grandson, while Agüero, 20, missed Atlético’s training session earlier in the day. Atlético offered their congratulations in a statement on their official website. Kun was in the Argentina 2010 World Cup squad coached by the great man himself. This sure was one lucky son-in-law!
7. The Tattoo Man.
Agüero has a tattoo on the inside of his right arm, inscribed in Tengwar – a form of writing invented by J. R. R. Tolkien that was used by the Elves in his works. A number of other players that have a similar tattoo, including Fernando Torres, Maniche, and Antonio Lopez. It translates roughly to Kun Agüero in the Latin alphabet. He also has a tattoo on his left arm with his son’s name and date of birth. Definetely going the David Beckkham way!
8. His Pre-Match Rituals.
When asked whether he has any superstitions that drive him before a match, he replied, “I suppose my pre-match ritual would include rubbing my hands together while walking up the stairs on to the pitch. I also try not to focus on the match in order to stay relaxed. I ensure to get plenty of sleep before the game. And I like to hang around with friends, listen to music, and prepare myself mentally.”
9. A True Family Man.
His motivation in life stems from his family, friends and fans who have constantly supported his decisions regardless. His father Leonel and mother Adriana have given him their support and have helped a great deal and still do to this day. Kun owes them everything because they went through a lot in order for him to be here today. Also, the motivation from the red and white fans has helped him a great deal. These individuals are the reason why the team is fighting so hard. He always wanted to satisfy the fans who have waited so long for a victory.
10. Dear Aguero, If There Was One Thing in Football You Would Want To Change…
“I don’t think football currently needs to excessively change its rules. I do, however, believe that players should be protected. Fair play is always a big issue in football, especially in terms of injury, and it’s important to protect the talent and quality of players and make sure they don’t get injured. Football is meant to be a physical game but a line has to be drawn somewhere.I guess if I were to change one rule it would be an extra referee on the pitch. I’ve heard that referees run around eight miles per game. That’s equivalent to some of us players!Another referee on each side of the centre line would help in terms of distinguishing fouls and offsides. There is a lot of pressure on referees and an additional arbitrator would avoid discrepancies and help distinguish calls.”
Tags: Che Guevara, EPL, Football, Manchester City, Premier League, Sergio Aguero
