Mauro Zalazar: An incredible experience

Mauro, welcome back auf Schalke! How was the South American U-20 Championship in Venezuela?
It was a really exciting tournament and a great experience for me, which helped to develop my game. We unfortunately couldn’t reach all of the targets we had set ourselves beforehand, but for me personally it was an amazing experience that I’ll always remember.

Your team qualified for the final stage by winning Group A but only claimed one point in the second final stage. What happened?
I thought our first three games in the final stage were pretty good. We really wanted to achieve something big together as a team. Although the 1-0 defeat to Brazil in our first game was disappointing, it wasn’t the end of the world. We wanted to get back on track against Argentina (4-3 loss) but simply made too many mistakes and that made life tough for us. We at least got a point against Chile in our next game (1-1), however I think the team was tired after that and that’s why we didn’t achieve our targets. The first two defeats in the final stage took their toll on us mentally and if you’re not fully focused in South America, the other teams will take full advantage of that.

Tell us about the tournament from a personal perspective. You were a regular in coach Fabián Coito’s team.
I had to get used to the style of football and the tournament a little bit over the first two games. I was also a bit nervous because representing your country is never easy. There is a lot of pressure when you play for Uruguay. I grew in confidence with the ball at my feet after the first two games, as well as within the squad. I think I contributed a lot to our performances and had a great tournament individually. I can only thank the coach for giving me the chance right away. I started eight of the nine games and that’s given me a lot of confidence.

What things did you learn in Venezuela that can now help you in Germany?
I think I have to just build on my time in Venezuela. I was playing football at a high intensity and picked up match practice from my games with Uruguay. I also played a lot of minutes in central midfield in a similar system to what we use here at Schalke. That was really important for me because I now feel even more comfortable in this position.

Were you in contact with any Schalke coaches during the tournament?
Yes, of course. Kees van Wonderen called me up and asked how I was doing. I also spoke to Ben Manga and Sidney Sam during the tournament. Robert Molenaar also messaged me. Our fitness coach Alexander Storck was also in contact with the fitness coach from my national team. People at Schalke watched my games and sent me reports. I felt well really supported.

Were you in contact with any of your teammates?
Yes, mainly with Felipe Sanchez. We both speak Spanish so communicating with him is easier. He called me up a lot and said he misses me and wants me to come back (laughs). I spoke to the other players on Instagram, for example Anton Donkor. He had a lot of questions about the tournament and was interested to hear about how we were doing.’

Were you able to watch Schalke games while you were at the tournament?
I tried to but it was difficult because of the time difference. I did my best to follow things as closely as I could and I watched a few games back afterwards. I think the team did well in the two months I was away.

Your brother Rodrigo is no stranger to the Schalke fans. Do you regularly speak about life with the Royal Blues?
Yeah, we speak a lot, in particular before I came here. He told me that Schalke is a great club with a massive fan base. Rodri also advised me to stay calm and said that everybody would help me. All the staff members at the club are really nice. They love my brother and I think that’s a positive (laughs). My brother also loves the club and I think he’s passed that down to me. Schalke is a club that I’d love to stay at for a long time and achieve a lot with.

You have been at the club for around six months now. What are your personal aims for the coming months?
The most important thing is that I keep integrating myself into the squad so that I can make my league debut, which I unfortunately haven’t done yet. I want to help the team as best I can when I get my chance.

So your dream is to hopefully soon play at the VELTINS-Arena?
That’s my short-term goal, yes. I want to play a game here and hear the fans shout my name – just like they did for my brother. My aim is to achieve a lot here because I’ve got the club’s help and support to thank for being called up to the national team for the South American U-20 Championship.