Gabriel Suazo: Whether Captain or Not, I Don't Change My Ways

Gabriel Suazo is reflecting on his debut season with Sevilla, a period marked by a tense battle to remain in Spain's La Liga. The team ultimately secured their top-flight status in the penultimate match, finishing thirteenth, just one point above the relegation zone.

“

I have learned to lead by example, training to the maximum, giving everything on every ball to positively influence my teammates. I have had to be captain and learn to listen. If I have to tell a teammate something, I have to do it a certain way because otherwise, it affects their performance. That is also being a leader, and often it goes unnoticed.

Suazo, who has embraced a leadership role, often wearing the captain's armband as he did at his previous club Toulouse and with the Chilean national team, discussed his approach. "I have learned to lead by example, training to the maximum, giving everything on every ball to positively influence my teammates," he stated in an interview with Banda Deportiva. "I have had to be captain and learn to listen. If I have to tell a teammate something, I have to do it a certain way because otherwise, it affects their performance. That is also being a leader, and often it goes unnoticed."

“

Leadership is based on positively influencing others with facts and actions. Whether I am captain or not, I don't change my way of being, and perhaps that's why they choose me. I don't arrive at any club and start giving orders; I will never do that.

He further elaborated on his leadership philosophy, asserting, "Leadership is based on positively influencing others with facts and actions. Whether I am captain or not, I don't change my way of being, and perhaps that's why they choose me. I don't arrive at any club and start giving orders; I will never do that." Suazo also touched upon the team's fight against relegation, explaining his mindset after defeats: "After every loss, the next day I hug my teammates, greet them with affection, and enter the field smiling. Maybe people see photos and say, 'How is he smiling if you lost yesterday?' For me, one has nothing to do with the other. Obviously, I have frustration, it hurts me, and I am the most demanding because I am very competitive, but if I carry all that positive energy, in the end, things end up going that way."

“

After every loss, the next day I hug my teammates, greet them with affection, and enter the field smiling. Maybe people see photos and say, 'How is he smiling if you lost yesterday?' For me, one has nothing to do with the other. Obviously, I have frustration, it hurts me, and I am the most demanding because I am very competitive, but if I carry all that positive energy, in the end, things end up going that way.

Suazo stressed the significance of building trust during difficult times, such as losses or crucial errors. "Confidence is built in difficult moments, where the team loses, where you make a mistake on a pass that ends up being a goal. But I do everything believing it will be the best for the team because I don't hide. For me, that is very important because it is built on error and learning, on that resilience with yourself." He concluded by praising Sevilla's passionate fanbase, comparing their fervent support to the atmosphere he experienced at Colo Colo. "Our stadium is a marvel when we enter, when they sing the anthem with the scarves... you get goosebumps, it's beautiful. In Europe, there are many stadiums that don't cheer, and you hear everything. Others don't. For example, at Betis' stadium and ours, you don't hear anything because the people are fully engaged. I loved that when I arrived because it reminded me of many things I lived through at Colo Colo in terms of how they feel and live football."

“

Confidence is built in difficult moments, where the team loses, where you make a mistake on a pass that ends up being a goal. But I do everything believing it will be the best for the team because I don't hide. For me, that is very important because it is built on error and learning, on that resilience with yourself.