Jalil Elías, from the counterattack with Troglio to the captain of San Lorenzo de Insúa who commands Argentine football

With eyes full of energy, beak open as if screaming with enthusiasm and wings spread a glittering phoenix catches the eye on the left leg of Khalil Elijah, the captain of the pointer San Lorenzo who was able to rearm in the ashes to resume flight. “I got my tattoo this holiday. I liked the drawing, but it has to do with what I had to experience“, explains a clarion this 26-year-old midfielder who, led by Ruben Darío Insua, became captain and key player in the tournament leader after being relegated at the beginning of Pedro Troglio’s cycle.

The man from Rosario who came from Newell’s was able to distinguish himself in Godoy Cruz and arrived in Boedo at the hands of Diego Dabove, who he knew from the Mendoza team. He had to face severe turbulence dressed as a crow and now enjoy your big moment that goes hand in hand with the unbeatable present of the Cyclone del Gallego who this Wednesday begins their journey in the Argentina Cup against Sarmiento de Resistencia, in Santa Fe.

After his great goal in the neighborhood classic and the 4-0 victory over Gimnasia La Plata, Elías tells the secret of the success of the Insua method and talks about what it means to be the bearer of the tape.

-Why this San Lorenzo pointer?

-For work and sacrifice. Since Fernando Berón took office in the meantime, important things have already begun to be noticed. And with Ruben’s arrival we are experiencing a wonderful moment, a dream. We are doing a long-term job. It is the best way to achieve important goals. We don’t just dream of winning a championship, but also that the club is organised.

-There was a before and after Insua’s arrival, what is Gallego’s recipe for happiness?

-Things can change overnight. No need to wait. El Gallego has arrived and with the coaching staff they had to be in many details. He found a group that wanted to move forward. El Gallego knows the club better than anyone else, he was champion here and we get along very well with him. We understand him and we know what he wants from us. And we know that we are in San Lorenzo and that we must take each day as if it were our last.

-You are among those who have recovered the level with Insua, have you had any particular interviews with the DT?

-No, everything has been given. When he arrived I didn’t have much continuity even though I had just played the last few games with Troglio. Every time a new DT arrives, the expectation is renewed and I knew I had to keep working hard and that time would come. I gave my all in every training session. I haven’t been the only one to improve, since Gallego arrived several guys have been relieved and feeling good. Go through trust, humility and work. This is what Galician conveys. We work a lot, we have very long training sessions and then this is reflected on the pitch. We give our all in every training session as if we were playing a football match because the coach demands it.

-The footballer isn’t very used to intensive training, was it difficult to adapt to this?

-The footballer is a bit annoying with these things, it’s true. But we got used to it. I like to train and try to stay in line on and off the pitch. The results begin to be seen after a long period of work. We’ve started very well this year, but we know we have to go match by match. We treat every match as a final because Argentine football is very balanced.

-With Troglio you were relegated and could have left, what made you stay and fight for her?

-As a child he dreams of being in a club the size of San Lorenzo. Yes, the possibility of leaving the club presented itself to me, but I dreamed of playing here and I knew that if I left it would have to go through the front door. Today I’m experiencing a very nice gift, but I know I can’t relax to continue on this path.

-What did you hold on to in those days when you weren’t a priority?

-At work and messages from my colleagues telling me I was training really well and would give up. When I had the opportunity to play on the wing with Pedro (Troglio) I didn’t hesitate because he had been working very well for some time. I knew that things would go well and that I would not reproach myself for anything.

-Insua also used you a lot as a right winger, did you understand that you had to take advantage of that chance to get back into the team?

-Yes. I try to take the good examples. I watch players from other teams. Milton Casco comes to mind at River, who has to do it on the left, right and sometimes even as a midfielder. They are examples, I decided to have those same characteristics. I have no problem playing as a winger, midfielder or double five.

-Are you surprised that DT has chosen you as the new captain for this year?

-I already had the experience of doing it in Godoy Cruz. Diego Martínez had chosen me as captain. Here in San Lorenzo I have seen colleagues with the experience of Torrico and Ortigoza take the belt. I didn’t expect it, but in the short or long term work always pays off. Gattoni was doing very well. His situation turned out well and the coach chose me. He asked me if I was ready and I said yes.

-What does it mean to take the field with duct tape on your arm?

-It’s a great pride, a dream I had as a boy. Wearing the San Lorenzo ribbon means commitment, work and loyalty. You have to take San Lorenzo to the top.

-People get excited and start singing for the Scudetto, is San Lorenzo a candidate?

-There are 27 dates. It’s a very long tournament and there are just seven, that is a quarter of the championship. We go game by game, playing each one as a final. We are doing a little better at home and away we try to improve. In the classic with the Huracán there was an excellent display of attitude.

-Is the word champion forbidden for now in the locker room?

-Not forbidden, we’ve been saying since last semester that San Lorenzo must win a Scudetto this year and we’re on the right track. The club deserves to fight for important things.

-Why are they almost unbeatable at home (they have won their last seven) when it was so difficult for them before?

-The environment and context in which we lived improved day by day. With Insua many things have been improved. The past is behind us and today we have to talk about a very beautiful moment. We try to have fun and go more.

– Could it be that the figure of Insua has taken the pressure off you?

-I do not know. I remember that not many coaches wanted to come, but Gallego put his heart into it and returned to the club. Today there is a lot of talk about Ruben, but no one remembers when he arrived. We gamers see and appreciate it a lot. We make every ball count on the pitch. And now we dream of getting a title.

-Will the challenge be to maintain this level when the triple competition starts?

-There is no way. You have to keep the level. When we start the triple competition, we will lower the loads a bit and start to rest between games. We are prepared. We’ve had a tough preseason.

-Will there come a time when you will have to choose priority or do you plan to bet on everything?

-First let’s think about the championship and this commitment in the Copa Argentina. We go no further. Then we will see how we are positioned.

The particular story of the birth of his daughter Zoe, who became a talisman

In June last year, a rather special event occurred for Jalil Elías that had repercussions throughout the club. His wife, Lucila, expected to give birth to their first child on Tuesday, the same day San Lorenzo were to play Arsenal at home. The couple wanted the birth to be a natural birth, but plans changed and together with the midwife they rescheduled the date for the next day. Thus, the midfielder was able to play and score a goal that had the corresponding dedication.

“We played against Arsenal during the week. We had an appointment for that day for induced labor. If it’s a natural birth, you can’t do anything and you have to go to the clinic. But together with my wife we ​​postponed it for a day after the match. The we gave all the options because it was due to childbirth, but there was no case and in the end it had to be by cesarean section. I played and scored a goal and the next day I was a father” Elías recalls earlier clarion.

At first the confusion arose and there were those who claimed that the footballer had put the shield above the health of his child and his wife, when this has never been the case. “It was a bit misunderstood or I didn’t clarify it as it had been,” explained the current Barça captain.

Zoe was born without problems, they put her in the Cyclone and now she has become a talisman for the Insua team: “Ever since she started coming home we have always won. She was in the last seven, ah. Now she can, I don’t miss it.”