Several months ago, Edson Alvarez posted two different photos of himself in his Instagram account.
On the left, Alvarez is standing next to a luxurious car in front of his Amsterdam home. On the right, Alvarez is going out of a taxi in Mexico City on his way to a training session with his previous team, Club America. This post tells two ends of an intense life story only few people know.
Alvarez, Ajax Amsterdam’s stellar signing of the previous year, lived quite a different life up until four years ago. Born in the outer neighbourhoods of Mexico City to a low-income family, Edson had to work hard to overcome the obstacles in his life and get to where he is today.
Alvarez used to travel for two hours every day to get to “Coapa”, Club America’s training ground. His father dropped him off at the central station, where he took a bus or a taxi to arrive in training and not always get compensation for the travel fare. His dedication paid off when Ricardo La Volpe decided to give him a chance with the first team. Almost immediately, Alvarez showed his good defensive abilities playing as a centre back and earned a spot on the first team, even after La Volpe left Club America. Alvarez also showed good proficiency in the U-20 National Team, and by the age of 19, he already made his debut with the national team. Juan Carlos Osorio, back then Mexico head coach, decided to play him as a defensive midfielder although he never played in that position before. During the 2018 World Cup, Osorio even tried him as a right-back, although this experiment proved unsuccessful.
After the World Cup, Miguel Herrera decided to play Alvarez as a defensive midfielder alongside Argentinian national team player Guido Rodriguez, in a two defensive midfielders formation. Alvarez and Rodriguez turned into a solid line, with the latter being the more offensive one of the duo. Alvarez, now a well-paid international player, wanted to develop his career further, and when Ajax issued an offer, the move was obvious.
15 million Euros made their way to Club America’s bank account, while Alvarez had big shoes to fill, those of Matthijs de Ligt. Expectations were high, but Alvarez rarely played as a CB. Ajax coach Erik ten Hag decided to put Alvarez in a familiar role: defensive midfielder with an Argentinian player next to him, this time it was Lisandro Martinez.
This combination has kicked-off very well. Alvarez showed his physical abilities while Martinez brought technic, and was joining in on the attack. Alvarez also revealed some surprising offensive skills, scoring in the UEFA Champions League qualifying round and group stage. Not long after the season started, Alvarez became a father to Valentina. The joy of parenthood also marked a change in his career.
Alvarez was a solid defender, but as such he couldn’t cope with the fast-flow attacking mentality of the team. Besides, the fact that Alvarez and Martinez were brought to replace Lasse Schone and Frenkie de Jong, both technical players with an attractive style of game. Ajax fans expected something similar to their previous season’ super-team, and when it didn’t happen, they became frustrated with Alvarez and started to criticize him. Even sports commentators in the Dutch media, including Ronald de Boer, already decided his signing was a flop.
Ajax couldn’t recreate their previous season magic, leaving their fans upset. Even the fact that after the winter break, Alvarez barely played and the team didn’t improve, didn’t shift the focus from him as he became the symbol of the team’s failure. But then something happened.
Lisandro Martinez, Alvarez’s best friend, gave an interview and talked about the season, his adaptation to the team and how hard it was for him. He also mentioned Alvarez’s situation, and that “obviously, no one could focus on this kind of situation”. That sentence was a bit vague, but the interview went on as usual. But people soon responded, all wanting to understand what situation Martinez referred to in his talk. It led to a shocking discovery.
Under Dutch law, a foreign national under the age of 21 cannot sponsor his spouse (or child) if they are unmarried. The law is meant to prevent human trafficking, but in Alvarez’s case, this meant that not long after his baby was born, his family had to leave. Ajax’s management was very understanding and let him miss some of the training to see his family, but it eventually cost Alvarez the spot in the team’s line-up. Suddenly some of the pundits tried to explain what was logical to all, and Ronald de Boer even apologized for his remarks, stating that he wasn’t aware of the whole situation.
Alvarez usually celebrates his goals with fingers in his ears, showing that he doesn’t listen to negativity and critics. He’s been doing it since he was a youngster in Club America, but Alvarez knew very well that his first year with Ajax was far from a success and that he must improve. The problem was, Alvarez would never live up to the fans and media’s expectations. But he soon found a solution: Alvarez decided to work hard on his strength.
Before he went to the summer vacation, he discussed his expectations with Ten Haag. Alvarez mentioned that he can’t play in an attacking role and asked about playing as a Center back. Ten Haag already planned to play with Per Schuurs and Blind or Martinez in defence, so he Told Alvarez that he is planning him to play as a defensive midfielder. He added that his companion to the midfield (Ryan Gravenberch usually), playing a more attacking role. During his Vacation in Mexico, Alvarez woke up early every morning and worked on his strength and stamina. He knew that he wouldn’t be technical or fast as the fans expect, so he would try and compensate being a defensive line before the defence. This fact might be a disadvantage against a team that would “park the bus” and focus on defence, and perhaps he would need to sit out in those matches.
Alvarez knows very well that this year would be his real test. No more first-year adaptability issues, and with his family in Amsterdam, no personal issues should interfere. One good season and he could find himself in a bigger league. Who knows, maybe even Ajax fans would learn to appreciate his contribution to the team, even if he does so without much flair.
Photo via Edson Alvarez Instagram account.
