Nicolás de la Cruz spoke with Radio Universal 970 AM and talked about his adaptation to River Plate and Argentinean football, and explained what he thinks is Marcelo Gallardo's secret to success as a coach.
It was difficult for the Uruguayan to adapt to Argentinean football, but he has become a key piece in Marcelo Gallardo's team. "I changed a lot because Argentinean football and the club's level is very demanding, the River world is very difficult to handle, the adaptation process was quite long, thankfully it's over now and I can enjoy the club," commented the player who came from Liverpool de Uruguay.
The footballer added: "The player who comes from Uruguayan football then encounters a different reality, a different football, and you have to reinvent yourself, obviously most of us have the ability, that's why they want us from abroad. Uruguay produces very good players, with great capability; then it's about attitudes and the desire to progress from each individual, to move forward."
"It was difficult for me at the beginning, but then I was able to adjust and adapt to the River world and then I started enjoying what is a great institution at a global level," valued the attacking midfielder.
De la Cruz commented on coach Gallardo's continuous demands and the recurring successes of the River Plate team: "The thing is that the messages are very clear at the beginning of each year, the objectives are specific and clear; all the time we try not to lose focus, to keep winning, that's the coach's mentality, it's the message that is conveyed: to continue in that path and always have the ambition to win and not change the style of play and the way we play, despite the departures we face at the beginning of each year."