José María Giménez was one of the top Uruguayan players in World Cup Brazil 2014. He recalled his first steps and revealed some secrets about his present
The dialogue was something like this: "What are you doing here?” asked the Coach. "I came to play football. I want to play in Peñarol," said the boy. The answer was mean. "No dear, you should not play football, do something else, you don´t have the skills".
The main characters of this story are Víctor Púa, former coordinator of Peñarol's youth divisions, and José María Giménez, the defender who substituted Diego Lugano in Brazil Wolrd Cup and had a great performance.
Living alone in Madrid is tough since I am pretty young. I do what I believe I do best, play football, and that is it. Food is a complicated issue, but I usually speak to my mom through Skype and she gives me recipes. With the rest, I ask for help. Regarding the team, I feel great since I am playing for a huge team (Atlético Madrid) and I am surrounded by great people. (Diego) Simeone is a Coach that thinks and feels like a player. And my teammates and their families were always there for me. Having Godín and Cebolla Rodríguez makes everything easier. They help me as football players and give me advice on how to handle life outside the field.
Did you make friends with deliveries or you prefer cooking?
I always cook my own food. I do what my mother tells me. I eat a lot of pasta, drink soups and take lots of vegetables. Simple food.
You share positions with Godín and the room with Cebolla. How is that?
I share rooms with Cebolla everywhere. In Atlético Madrid and in the National Team. My only problem is that he sleeps with the air conditioning on, since he is always hot, and I immediately get a cold. In Madrid we handled it, but in Brazil, since I was playing, I moved and slept with Fucile.
Fucile said he gave you advice before the game with England. What did he tell you?
(He laughs) Fucile is like a brother to me. He is such a great guy. He is a genius. He told me "you´re gonna be the best, nobody will beat you, you are a great player" and I hugged him and told him "I hope so". I was really surprised with the kind of person he is.
Did you talk to Suárez when he left the Hotel?
Yes, I gave him a hug and told him "Lucho we are with you, always" That was it. There wasn´t much to be said. He was hurt and left quickly.
Hard Tackles: Carrasco or Tabárez?
They are different coaches, and have different characteristics. I used to watch "El Maestro" on TV and said "Woow look at this man, he is the best!" I am very grateful to both of them. Carrasco is unique in Uruguayan football since he tries to play like in Europe and I called him and his son when I debuted in Spain.
Carrasco used you as midfielder and Tabárez as defender. Which position do you prefer?
I prefer defender. As midfielder I have to run along the whole pitch and I get really tired. I prefer playing inside the cave, stay at the back and mark. I feel more comfortable in that position.
People talked about the conversation between you and Falcao. Was this true?
People made a big fuss about it. He was the one who started talking. He played in Atlético de Madrid and asked me if I had a car and what car was it. After that, many things were added to the conversation, but he was the one who asked the question. After that I met him in the airplane and we talked. He is a great guy, very settled and polite.
How did you meet your girlfriend?
My girlfriend saw me on TV during the U-20 World Cup. But she does not understand anything about football. She is the typical woman who cannot make any comment about football.
People will get mad with this answer
I know but I get madder when women make comments about football. My girlfriend knows me already and when she and my mother are talking about football and I appear they stop talking. She sometimes says "Look at this guy, he is having a hard time" and the guy is Messi or Neymar. You know what I mean? They can´t talk about football. These things piss me off.
Lea la versión en español aquí.
