"When we received an offer from Dynamo, we immediately had a desire to come to Russia."

Juan Caceres is Dynamo's winter newcomer. The 24-year-old defender of the national team of Paraguay came from the Argentine Lanus. He was born and raised in Messi's homeland, but his father is Paraguayan, Juan chose this national team. And the Moscow club should close the problematic flank of defense. At the training camp in the UAE, Caceres gave an interview to Izvestia and Sport-Express, in which, in particular, he told why he decided to transfer, why the deal was delayed, how he "devoured" Vinicius, what he expects from playing for Dynamo.

"I've never seen such frost, I froze my lips right away"

— Juan, first of all, tell me how to pronounce your last name correctly?

— CAceres. With an emphasis on the letter "a".

— Was your first thought when your agent mentioned the Dynamo option?

— I already knew this club, because my good friend Fabian Balbuena has been playing in it for a long time. Therefore, when the agent informed me that there was an offer from Dynamo, I immediately had a great desire to take advantage of it, to come to Russia. Naturally, I went on to the Internet to study who else is playing in the team, where it is going, and so on. And I looked at the stadium right away — it looks great. Plus Fabi (Balbuena) called, and he told me in more detail that this is a great club, excellent facilities at the base, a great stadium, and high goals. He advised me to agree.

— What attracted the Dynamo option? Is it primarily about the financial side?

— First of all, of course, my thoughts on career development. It's a big step forward to play in a strong European championship.

— Didn't any political issues bother you?

— I didn't think about it at all, the most important thing for me is football. As I said, joining Dynamo is a big sporting challenge. As for politics... I think it will all be over soon.

— What did you know about Russia and Russian football?

— Of course, I saw photos of the famous Red Square, but I didn't know much about the country in general. As for football, Dynamo, Zenit, and Spartak are well-known. I have heard about those who participated in European competitions. More about CSKA.

— How did Moscow meet?

— I was "lucky" with the weather — I arrived on the coldest days. I froze my lips off right away. I've never seen such a cold — minus 12! And snow, too, for the first time. It was all amazing to me.

"I grew up on the street, but there was no crime"

— Is it true that Lanus didn't want to let you go and had to put pressure on the club?

— 50% of the rights to me belonged to Racing, and another 50% to Lanus. And the management of both clubs changed in the winter. Some people agree, and then others come... Plus, I was the only one in Lanus in this position, they didn't want to let me go, so the story dragged on a bit. It's good that it was successfully resolved in the end.

— Who do you consider yourself more — Argentinian or Paraguayan?

— I was born and have lived all my life in Argentina, but my father is Paraguayan. I got Paraguayan citizenship to play for the national team of that country, and I think I feel more like a Paraguayan.

— Judging by the reviews, you're a guy with character. I didn't hesitate, for example, to fight with the much more experienced midfielder Ricardo Centurion, who almost joined the star-studded Anzhi 12 years ago.

— If we talk about the character on the field, then yes. I like to be tough, aggressive, and dominant. In real life, I'm calm, smiling, and cheerful. I like to chat with my friends. As for that encounter with Centurion, we had an argument in the locker room and had a bit of a fight. It's okay, it happens.

— They also wrote that Centurion dragged you to various parties, and then after a quarrel with him and the appearance of a girl, you noticeably settled down.

— Do not believe the yellow press. They write what they want, a lot of fictions. I've never had any love for partying.

— And the popular Latin American football players' stories about dangerous neighborhoods and semi-criminal elements nearby aren't about you either?

— No. I was not a domestic boy, although my parents watched me, but I grew up on the street. However, there was no crime nearby — we were fond of sports. They set up gates made of stones and played football from morning to evening.

— Is your fiancee coming to Russia?

— God forbid, in March I will be called up to the national team of Paraguay, and we want to sign with her. This will also facilitate the processing of documents in Russia. The bride is now three months pregnant, and she will come and live with me in Moscow.

"We will try to beat Ronaldo and his team"

— You have a lot of tattoos. What do they mean?

— On one hand there is an image of me as a boy in the yard playing with a ball, and then as an adult football player on the field. It says: the day I thought about, the day I dreamed about, the day it happened. And the date of my debut in the Argentine championship is February 14, 2020. A childhood dream has come true. On the other hand, the elephant is a symbol of the family. On the leg is an image of my neighborhood and the dog Calvin. I also plan to bring her to Moscow.

— Judging by the photos on social media, are you more proud of your ears than shy of them?

— Yes, I understand that people talk about my ears all the time, but I'm completely calm about it, there are no complexes.

— It was last year that you had a breakthrough — dramatic progress, stable playing for the national team.

— Yes. I train a lot, including individually, to make progress. I am glad that you have managed to reach a level where the coach of the national team trusts you.

— Have you ever thought about the Argentine national team?

— Of course I did, but I was born and raised in Argentina. But still, if you think soberly, there is a very large selection of stars. It would be more difficult for me to compete.

— They're talking about you: the guy who "ate" Vinicius in the Paraguay–Brazil match.

— Well, the partners also participated, although I really had to take care of him most of the time. Of course, Vinicius is a strong player, he played a good game.

— Was it the best match of your career?

— I would still call the semi-final of the South American Cup last year against Cruzeiro, when we played away 1:1. Unfortunately, we lost minimally at home and did not reach the final.

— Was Vinicius worthy of receiving the Golden Ball last year?

— I can't say that, it's not for me to choose. If Rhodri won, then he was more worthy of it.

— Another star you can play against is Cristiano Ronaldo. Together with Al-Nasr, he is invited to the summer BetBoom Fraternal Cup. Would it be interesting to meet?

— Of course, it would be great if one of the best players in the world came. Great signboard. We will try to beat Ronaldo and his team.

"I dream of playing in one of the top European championships"

- What do you consider your trump cards?

— I am quite strong physically. My trump card is fighting. I play well one-on-one. And in the air, too. If there is an opportunity to connect to the attack, I connect, not just on the defensive.

— First impressions of Dynamo and the new team?

— I've already been to the base — I really liked it, everything is top-notch. As for the team, everything is fine, I'm adapting. The only negative is that I don't know Russian yet, I don't understand everything. Just: "Hi, how are you?", "right", "left". They immediately taught me a couple more obscene words. It's good that there are a lot of Latin Americans at Dynamo, they help me, we communicate all the time.

— What are your goals for the season and for your career in general?

— I would like to win as many titles as possible with Dynamo. Win the championship and the Cup. And in my career, I dream of playing in one of the top European championships. And get to the World Cup with the national team of Paraguay.