Sergio Aguero is one of the best strikers of his generation, and it is always nice to hear his opinions on the current state of world football. It's been a while since Kun was in the spotlight, and today, he can reflect on football from a different perspective. Considering how much went on in recent weeks he was an ideal interlocutor for Champions League and La Liga. In his role as Stake ambassador, Sergio gives interviews from time to time to the betting outlet, and this is what he had to say during his most recent talk to the establishment.
It's been a while since Aguero's retirement
The small matter of being forced to retire due to medical reasons didn't bode well with Aguero. It happened before the diminutive Argentine was able to leave his mark at FC Barcelona. Kun is aware that it's been a while since he retired but unaware that it has been three years. Just like any competitor, Aguero states that it was a difficult situation to be accepted from the get-go. During the three-month evaluation period, Kun still had high hopes of continuing his professional career. Luckily for everyone involved, Aguero was already preparing for life after football. So, months after retirement, he already had a few business ventures put in place, and thanks to his gaming team, he managed to continue living a full life outside of football.
Is football still important to Sergio 'Kun' Aguero?
For Aguero, it was hard to neglect the sport in its entirety, but the former Manchester City poacher is being clear that it is far from being his priority. According to his own words, he's been able to dedicate only 30% of his time to watching football. His eyes were focused on the Premier League and sporadic Champions League fixtures here and there. The way he keeps himself informed on all important things happening in the sport is through means of social media and his close friends. It's been a while since Aguero watched an entire 90 minutes of football without having to do it and he's not hiding the fact.
Hansi Flick and Barcelona through Kun's lenses
Aguero is honestly continuing the interview. Kun is clear that despite Barcelona being his last team to play for, he wasn't paying them too much attention this year. But, After the Champions League against Monaco, for Aguero, it was evident that once again Barcelona is relying on its La Masia products. For the former Independiente striker, it is an ideal way to build a solid foundation for future success. For Kun, Flick is an ideal coach for Barca due to his attacking style and ability to play beautiful and direct football. Considering that they have a superstar in the making in Lamine Yamal, the future appears bright for Barcelona, concludes Aguero. Former Man City talisman claims that Yamal plays as an experienced player and that we should enjoy every second of his performances as you never know how far he will go nor how long his peak will last.
For Aguero talent is everything in football, and everyone has different traits. As far as Yamal goes, Kun sees him as a player who knows how to dribble, how to move the ball forward, and how to score from every opening. The unique ability is there, the vision to make it happen too, and for Aguero, everything comes naturally for Lamine the same way as it did for him in the moments when he burst onto the scene as a teenager.
Aguero concludes that as far as Lamine goes, he has it all at this career stage. He's not a player who only stays up and waits for the ball but defends his side. Most coaches love this and his future development will depend on the coach and what's required from him in years to come. These days, rare are the players who are allowed to stay forward and fail to defend, but luckily, it appears that Yamal is not one of them, as stated during Aguero's exclusive interview with Stake.com.
Lamine Yamal vs. Vini Jr decided by Sergio Aguero
Aguero was clear in this domain - in terms of pure talent and elegant style of play, Lamine Yamal has the upper hand over Vinicius Jr. Of course, Aguero doesn't neglect the fact that Vini Jr. is older, played more games, has more experience, and has accumulated more trophies than Lamine. When you consider everything, Vii Jr. is one of the most talented players in the world and probably one of the top three players right now, but if I had to pick one, it would be Lamine, concludes Aguero.
To explain his thoughts, Aguero states that comparing Vini Jr. and Yamal is like comparing Neymar and Lionel Messi back in the day. They're both amazing in their own game, and in Barcelona, they were even able to play together at the highest level. That's why Aguero believes that Vini Jr. has his best days ahead of him from the moment people in Real Madrid learn how to play him and Kylian Mbappe together.
The talent battle between Vinicius and Mbappe
Real Madrid will face many controversies if these two do not gel soon. For Kun Aguero, it is only a matter of time before these two superstars start clicking. The former Barcelona striker sees them as complementary players and claims that the qualities Vini Jr. has Mbappe lacks and vice versa. The one thing that Mbappe lacks is game time with Madrid as after years in Paris; he has to accommodate to new surroundings. The style of play is different in Madrid, and while many believe that Vinicius and Kylian are too similar to play together in one team, Kun begs to differ. For Aguero, Madrid needs to adapt to their new talisman and ensure that the side where Vini Jr. plays is defended well so as not to concede easy goals. As far as Mbappe is concerned Aguero sees him as a great addition that only lacks a bit more glueing with his teammates and goals that will surely come his way.
Barcelona vs. Real Madrid and how Aguero was right
Back in October, we had an El Clásico scheduled, and like most pundits from all over the world, Aguero was asked who he saw as the favourite to win the big match. Aguero stayed away from direct predictions then, but it was clear that Barcelona had the upper hand. Barca had the form on its side, the quality was there, and the belief of a win was with Barca for Kun. Of course, the former Atletico de Madrid striker said that no one should write off Real Madrid, especially when they have the home-field advantage. Yet, despite the possible complications, Aguero picked Barcelona as the eventual winner.
The former Argentina national team talisman also wasn't blind to Carlo Ancelotti's dark arts, concluding that there are matches only RM can win while holding the ball for only 20% of the time. Scoring goals comes easy for this Madrid team, and they are a force to be reckoned with in the last ten minutes of the game, concluded Aguero.
Former Manchester City standout remembered his time in the Premier League and with Atletico when they faced Real Madrid. They always managed to win with late goals or to equalize in the last minutes and win later on in extra time, but for Aguero, that was never a matter of luck. Skill and preparation play a great role with Real Madrid players, and when you add their experience and instil a winning mentality, you can't call them lucky, states Aguero.
Lewandowski and his out-of-this-world form
Aguero knows a good striker when he sees one, and Lewy is just that. Aguero sees Robert as one robust physical specimen; for Kun, players play at the top level when their bodies fail them. The will to play can push a person just as far, muses Aguero, and adds that for Robert Lewandowski, who still appears to be in peak condition, the limit might be further down the road when he's 42 or 43. Aguero notices that he is starting to lack agility in certain situations but that the hunger for goals and otherworldly skills are still there. Another positive for Lewy is that he plays for Barcelona, a team that nurtures attacking football, and thanks to that, the opportunities to score goals will not be there for Robert, concludes Sergio Kun Aguero.
Coaching position, endless transfer budget and signings
As a former striker himself, Kun Aguero is one to talk about acquiring strikers. In an imaginary scenario where Kun is the coach and has a limitless budget, the striker that would suit Kun's needs is Erling Haaland. His Man City replacement is the ultimate goalscorer in Aguero's eyes, and very few can do what he does game in and game out. Another option for the former Barcelona striker is Real Madrid's latest acquisition, Kylian Mbappe. A superstar with pace can play both in the centre position in attack and on the wings on both sides, but he has no value that can be estimated to him, concludes Aguero.
Champions League favourites
Aguero has had his fair share of football successes, but the Champions League evaded him. Nowadays, he only makes predictions for his favourite soccer betting site instead of playing. For Aguero, the favourites remain the same: Manchester City, Barcelona, Real Madrid, and, surprisingly, Arsenal. Aguero confesses that due to the new format of the CL, a smaller team has a chance to go far, but he wouldn't put it away from the usual suspects.
Pep and his imminent City exit
The tales of Pep Guardiola leaving Manchester City have been around for years, and he persists. For Aguero, Pep is the best in the world, and he has some big teams on his resume, including Barca, Bayern, and City. As far as Aguero is concerned, he has little to prove in club football, and his next step is to coach a national selection.
Thoughts on Atletico Madrid
Aguero still sees Atletico as his team and says there is little difference from when he played. It is a team that goes up and down in seasons and years, and on any given day, they can give any team a run for their money. Aguero believes that the players Atletico have today are much better compared to his stay in Madrid and that Cholo Simeone should pull the best out of the likes of De Paul instead of publicly criticizing them.
Aguero compares the situation in Atletico to the one Argentina had in the past when Messi was accused of playing better for Barca than the national team. Kun states that Simeone needs to find a way to get the best of Argentine stars like De Paul and Correa, the same as Scaloni did from Messi and Co.
A word of advice for Julian Alvarez
Aguero had the opposite path compared to Alvarez, joining City after Atletico, but he still had words of encouragement for Alvarez. After scoring his first goal, Kun was the first to congratulate him, but he also released a warning that things are different in Madrid compared to Manchester. The city is an ideal place to live, similar to Buenos Aires, but the styles of football are different, and that's something to look after, as Aguero said to Julian.
Aguero's perfect striker
The last thoughts from Aguero come in the form of his ideal striker. The monumental poacher would come in the form of CR7s right foot paired with Messi's left, boosted by technique from Aguero himself. Velocity would come from the real Ronaldo, the famed R9, and, while heading, it would belong to CR7 and Messi's character. Opportunism and intelligence would be borrowed from Luis Suarez, and with elegance from Lionel Messi, you'd have the perfect striker created by Sergio Aguero.
