The 23-year-old’s move to SC Braga is causing a lot of emotions among the royal blue supporters. Zalazar speaks out publicly for the first time in Portugal.
Schalke departure Rodrigo Zalazar has spoken out for the first time at his new club SC Braga. On the club’s own homepage of the Portuguese first division club, the 23-year-old midfielder, who signed a contract until 2028 and has an exit clause of 50 million euros, says: “SC Braga is a club with a great history and I am very excited about the project. Now I have to get used to the club, get to know my teammates better and I’m very happy to be part of the group.”
Zalazar, whose transfer will inject six million euros into the Königsblauen’s meagre club coffers, characterises himself as “a player with a lot of heart who also gives his teammates the aggressiveness and competitiveness that characterise South American players.” Zalazar continued, “I consider myself a player who likes to have the ball, with a good final pass. I want to bring all that together and help the team.”
With last year’s third-placed SC Braga, Zalazar is aiming to make it to the top flight. “Every professional player dreams of playing in the Champions League because it is the most important competition in the club world. We are preparing to qualify as best we can and take an important step towards the Champions League.” Zalazar also has a few words for the Braga fans, promising, “I will give everything for the club. I will help the team in everything I can to give you a lot of joy and that we can achieve our goals.”
On social media, Zalazar is facing some nasty criticism. Some Schalke fans berated the Uruguayan international after uploading a picture showing him with his wife Emily and son at his new employer’s Estadio Municipal. “Kissing crests and fooling fans don’t forget,” wrote one fan on Instagram. The next post contains just one word: “mercenary.” In another post, Zalazar is dubbed a “hypocrite”. However, there are also Schalke fans who are sympathetic to Zalazar’s decision to move to the Portuguese first division and defend him.
“He is now playing in the first division and thus has further chances to blossom in the national team,” says one S04 supporter, thus finding the switch “to be the right thing to do.” In another post, the negative comments on Zalazar are categorised as “sucks”. “He was one of the main pillars two years ago why we were promoted in the first place and in the end even shot us to promotion with his goal,” it continues.
