Cavani and Suarez are great ambassadors off the field: Alfaro

“They displayed flashes of brilliance during our campaign in Canada and caught the eyeballs right away. But what holds them in high regard even now is their personality off the field. It was a nice experience playing alongside them,” said an ebullient Alfaro, who gave us an insight into his memory lane. 

While ‘El Matador’ Cavani has been on a scoring spree for Paris Saint Germain, working in tandem with record signing Neymar, the ‘Orange Army’ has its own version of South American strike partners, Alfaro and Marcelinho, combining for an astounding tally of 11 out of the 18 goals scored thus far. 

Commenting on the importance of having a forward of the calibre of Brazilian Marcelinho, the 29-year-old said, “We (FCPC) are lucky to have players like him who has been a recipient of the ‘Golden Boot’ in the Indian Super League. We have a constant watch on each other’s positioning during every game we play together and it helps us to get the better of our opponents.” 

Alfaro had the opportunity to lock horns with Diego Forlán when his former side NorthEast United FC faced the latter’s Mumbai City FC twice during the league stages of the ISL 2016. 

When queried about his feeling during those twin encounters, he added, “I have played with him in the Uruguayan national team. I have idolised him since I started pursuing the sport and it was a fantastic experience to play opposite him. It is pretty common to be pitted alongside your international teammates in Europe but it was a kind of a bizarre occurrence for it to happen in the ISL.” 

The three-year-old league has seen many players transcend from South America to be a part of it. Speaking on how he got an idea about the ISL, the ex-Lazio player said, “I got an offer from NorthEast United FC in 2016. I contacted my good friend Nico Velez to have a clear picture about the country and the kind of football that was played here. I was impressed with the way the league was conducted.” 

The rapturous atmosphere at Anfield would resonate in the ears of the Reds’ fanatics with just the mere utterance of the word Liverpool. But for the man who now dons the orange and violet stripes, it was a club from Montevideo which gave meaning to his passion. 

“Liverpool will always have a place in my heart. I relished every moment I stepped on to the field with their badge. I came through their ranks and represented them until 2011. I later had a second stint between 2014 and 2015. I have had some great memories and those will stay with me for the rest of my life,” concluded Alfaro.