The international break is a pause in the season that has both supporters and detractors. There are those who propose concentrating them in one month so as not to interrupt the season and risk players suffering injuries. However, one thing is clear and that is that it is time to listen to many footballers.
Federations are open to players reviewing current events and clarifying circumstances that have occurred in recent months. In the case we are going to focus on today, Alexander Sørloth has given an interview to TV2 , his country's channel, to explain several aspects of his signing.
"Simeone calls me..."
One of the aspects that most caught the attention of the interview was the nickname that Cholo Simeone gave him as soon as he arrived at Atlético de Madrid. The Argentine coach was used to having strikers who finished, and with the signing of the Norwegian, a gap left by Álvaro Morata was filled in the forward line.
"At the first meeting he told me he had given me a nickname: 'hitman'. After last year's goals, he wants me to be a hitman for the whole season. Basically, I want to just put the ball in the net, so I'll try to live up to that nickname."
And it's no wonder the nickname. He was just one goal away from becoming LaLiga's top scorer, and that was despite the fact that Artem Dovbyk had to get injured for him to take home the award. This year, in the first game, the only chance he had was to send him packing, and Cholo Simeone hopes the same will happen throughout the season.
I was crazy to come
Alexander Sørloth continued his interview in which he stripped down completely and explained his first impressions of signing for one of the best teams in the world. " It's a fantastic feeling to come to a club where the only thing that matters is winning. Everyone wants to win something, so you have to bring in as many good players as possible."
He also spoke about Atlético de Madrid's transfer market and was completely honest: "It has been a summer full of events. I was waiting for the transfer to Atlético de Madrid to happen and, in the end, it became a reality. It was something absolutely magical."
Julian Alvarez and him: rivals?
And since he started talking about the transfer market, how could he not talk about the signing of the Spider Julián Álvarez: " I think we will have great chemistry together. I just thought it was an incredible transfer and he is an incredibly good footballer."
He also highlights something that he would not have liked so much: "It would have been different if they had signed someone who is 195 centimetres tall and weighs 95 kilos. If we had signed Haaland, I would not be so happy because we are too similar. Álvarez is a very different type of player to me, I don't see him as a competitor."