Rodrigo Palacio Interview

One of the surprises thus far in the transfer rumor mill has been the low key attention paid to Boca Juniors forward Rodrigo Palacio (above in yellow). A month shy of turning 25, the Bahia Blanca-born Argentine has only made news once since the end of the Apertura season. That was after his club rejected an offer from Barcelona, believed to have been in the $25M range.

While there has been an endless amount of column inches dedicated to Real Madrid's newest signings, we haven't heard much about Palacio. While only having three national team appearances to his name, the guy's a winner. In three-plus years with Boca, he's won the league twice, the Copa Sudamericana once, and the Recopa Sudamericana twice. He just finished an excellent campaign that saw him finish joint-top scorer with twelve goals in twenty games.

He sat down with Spanish sports daily Marca to talk to reporter V. Brunati. Of course, the most important question wasn't asked: What's the story behind the Jedi Knight braid? Here's a rough translation of that interview:

What was your reaction to the Barcelona bid?
I saw what the [Barcelona] president Joan Laporta said about me, that's how I found out they were interested in me. But I try to stay away from what the press says about me. That's why the truth is that I read about it, and that's it, I didn't think about it any more than that. I don't create false illusions about myself or my career. That way I can live in peace.

Don't you get excited when a club such as this makes it known that they've got their eye on you?
Sure, anytime someone notices what your qualities are you feel honored. But for right now, I've not really thought about the possibility of playing in Europe. For me it's a dream to be playing for a big club like Boca. And the fact is that I feel very comfortable here. For that reason, I've signed a four year contract extension. I'm going to give my all for this club, the one that's shown confidence in me.

Do you like watching La Liga matches?
Yeah, I watch them sometimes. Truthfully, I'm not one of those guys who watches a lot of soccer on TV. That being said, I definitely sit down to watch the important matches in the Spanish league, the Barcelona and [Real] Madrid Champions League games I watch all the time. I like to watch matches where something important will be decided.

Do you have a favorite team?
No. Most of the Spanish teams have good players and it's an attractive league to watch. Obviously, [Real] Madrid and Barcelona have the best players. But I don't have a preference between the two.

If it comes down to Real Madrid and Barcelona, who would you rather play for?
That's not for sure as of yet, and I don't like talking about things that haven't happened yet. Today, my reality is being a Boca player. I'm not sure if a move like that will ever happen, or if I'll even play in Europe.

What player do you admire most that plays your position?
My favorite player is Thierry Henry. For me, he's the most complete forward in the game. So fast, one of the best in the world.

How do you feel when they compare you to Claudio Canniggia?
There's no truth to it. He was much faster than I am. A great player who won a lot of important things in his career. I'm just starting mine.

What memories do you have from the World Cup?
It was such a special experience. Being able to be on a team with the best Argentines was one of the best things that's ever happened in my career. I was used to seeing them on TV, and then to have them as teammates was just incredible.

Rodrigo Palacio Interview (In Spanish) [Marca]

-ac