2 months ago
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Interview
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Last summer, Conor Gallagher joined Atlético Madrid from Chelsea in a deal worth €42 million. It was the second highest fee a European club have paid for an English player, following Harry Kane's €95m move to Bayern Munich the summer before and slightly more than Tammy Abraham's €41m move to Roma in 2021. Gallagher shares second place with Ivan Toney, who joined Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli for €42m last January. Gallagher's transfer was met with mixed emotions by Chelsea fans and Gallagher. Neither really favored a departure, but a transfer became necessary for Chelsea to meet Financial Fair Play regulations.
One year on, Gallagher can look back on a mixed season with Atlético Madrid. Although he scored four goals and six assists in 49 games across all competitions, Gallagher rarely completed the full 90 minutes on the pitch. The 25-year-old started just 19 of his 32 LaLiga games, playing just 1633 minutes. That story continued at the FIFA Club World Cup, where Gallagher came off the bench in the 4-0 defeat to PSG and the 3-1 win against the Seattle Sounders.
What has Gallagher made of his season with Atlético Madrid so far? “It’s been good because I had the opportunity to play for such an amazing club,” Gallagher said to Transfermarkt when asked about the victory over the Sounders at Lumen Field. “It’s brilliant. I want to help as much as I can. Hopefully, I can play more than I did the first year. I just need to keep working hard.” The Englishman, however, also admitted that the first year has been a learning process. “So much,” Gallagher said when asked what he can improve in his second year. “I’ve learned so much, and I’m really excited to carry on learning and improving to help the club.”
Gallagher: Club World Cup an opportunity for teams around the world
The FIFA Club World Cup has been part of that learning process. Against PSG, Atlético Madrid were significantly outclassed. Then, against the home team, the Seattle Sounders, Atlético had to work hard to secure an important three points to stay in the tournament. Atléti’s Group B remains wide open after Botafogo shocked PSG on matchday 2. The Brazilian now sit top of the group with six points after their 1-0 win over the UEFA Champions League winners.
Securing the win against the Sounders was, therefore, paramount for Atleti. But it wasn’t easy. Over 50,000 fans had packed into Lumen Field to support the hometown Sounders. “Really good,” Gallagher said when asked about the atmosphere. “Fair play to the other team. I thought they played really well. It was a really tough game, and the fans were great as well. So, yeah, it was nice to play in such a great atmosphere. We really enjoyed it.”
Overall, the Englishman believes the tournament has been an excellent opportunity for teams from around the world to showcase their talent. “This tournament is really great in terms that it gives teams around the world a chance to show how good they are, like the team that we played today, and I think you can see the level was high,” Gallagher said. “I think it is a great tournament to be a part of,” Gallagher said. For Gallagher, in the meantime, it is an opportunity to showcase his own talent. As mentioned, the Englishman aims to continue working hard to carve out a larger role with the LaLiga giants as he enters his second year in Spain.
