Santiago Hezze: “I’ve always waited for the weekend to see Huracán and now I have to play”

Santiago Hezze He’s 20, but plays like he has a decade in the First Division. In Serie A, almost out of curiosity, he hasn’t always been a starter. Today he is undisputed in the team led by Diego Dabove. He even became one of the youngest captains in Huracán history, born in 1908.

That huge detail he lived naturally. Since her childhood she has walked around the Palazzo del Ducó as if it were her home. grandson of Antonio Mohammed -Huracán’s inescapable reference- hung on the fences of his camp as memory allows him to remember. It serves as an example: in the background photo of his Twitter account there is a child screaming for the hurricane. And he. Some years ago. Few, even if they seem so much in their dizzying growth.

cup – as his colleagues, friends and every fan call him – he is a fan. He doesn’t hide it. He has the shield tattooed on his skin. And from what he perceives, even in the soul. “This is a Quemero law”, tells Clarín Gonzalo Minici, club historian, author of the recent book “When we were the best”.

Back and forth with this newspaper appears the 20-year-old boy. The 20-year-old man. The twenty year old captain. Even a long-held dream. A journey that is not measured in seasons but in intensity.

-In the background of your Twitter account, you have an image of yourself, when you were a child, hanging on the fence of the Palazzo Ducó, what do you remember of those days?

-I went on the pitch from a very young age until I had to go up to the First Division. Being in the Reserve I continued. The memories are beautiful, I started going there with my aunt Patricia, who took me with my cousins ​​Nayib, Shayr and Mayra. When we were older we started going alone and with friends, every game at home and away when we could. I was waiting for the weekend just to go out on the pitch. And now it’s my turn to play.

-Which players have you admired?

-I watched a lot of Barrientos, Bolatti, Pastore, Vismara.

You are 20 years old, you are consolidated in the First Division, you were already captain of the team. Now they are looking for you from Europe: what are your feelings about this situation?

Being a captain is something I didn’t expect, it was a huge joy, a unique experience. The greatest and the referees and the technical staff gave me a lot of peace of mind and helped me a lot. The polls in Europe made me happy, but today I’m at Huracan and that’s what matters to me, to keep adding to every game and try to win something with the club.

– Why do you think the hurricane is fighting upstairs?

Today we are fighting because since Diego (Dabove) arrived, the team has quickly picked up his idea and today we continue to practice it. Much emphasis was placed on the person and the daily life of everyone as professionals. We are a very united group. And this always adds up.

– What is the team for?

-The team is here to go step by step and fight in the annual rankings, to enter an international tournament. The hurricane deserves to always play in those competitions.

-Fans usually mention the word “champion” in their songs too, does that mean pressure? How do they live it?

-The word champion is a pressure, but beautiful, it means that people are enthusiastic about the team and believe in us. Today we try to keep the head in everyday life and go step by step.

-Who do you consider football today as a reference?

-Today I look a lot at the players who are in the national team: Paredes, Guido Rodriguez, those are references for me and for my position.

-Have you had a nightmare about scoring against Gimnasia?

-The truth is that after gymnastics I had some bad weather, it was difficult for me to sleep. But hey, these are things that happen in football and experiences that add up to my career. I had the support of my colleagues and my family. And this is the key.

-Who is the best player of the tournament?

-The best player of the tournament is undoubtedly Franco Cristaldo. And beyond what he’s showing as a player, he’s an excellent person.

-With Fattori they quickly put together a duo that works as if they have always played together, is there one that surpasses that tandem?

-With Faith we complement each other very well, in addition to this we have an excellent relationship. We talk a lot among ourselves, about every match. Faith has empowered me a lot in the tournament so far. He is a great player and I also admire him a lot for how he is as a person.

-How is Dabove as a coach?

-Diego and his technical staff ask a lot from us every day, they instilled in us the theme of food and self-care. And then kill each other and leave everything on the field as something important. They have excellent group management.

-Which teams do you like how they play?

-I like how River plays a long time ago and today, Tigre, Argentinos. Likewise, in Argentine football, anyone beats anyone.

-And now Boca is coming, in a great duel, from those above: how do they live it?

-We will go to the Bombonera with the conviction to keep our game and the research as always, beyond the stage in which we play. And we have the opportunity to continue in the squad of the first. We will have to be fully focused for the 90 minutes in order not to waste it.