Germán Pezzella is introduced at Peñarol after leaving River Plate

Some presentations are pure protocol, and then there are others where the player sits down in front of the microphones and explains, almost without being asked, why he picked that club over any other. Germán Pezzella's unveiling at Peñarol was the second kind. The Argentine defender, 35, held his official press conference this Thursday as a new player for the Aurinegro, two days after the club confirmed his arrival.

Pezzella didn't land in Montevideo by chance. He has friends inside the squad, and that weighed more than it might seem. "I know exactly which club I'm coming to. I have friends who are Peñarol fans, like Maxi Olivera, who I played alongside in Italy and who talked to me every single day about what he felt for Peñarol, about what the club and its people meant. When the opportunity came up I spoke with him again, and with Sebastián Cristóforo, to really understand what the club is about. Today I'm here, and I'm happy. I want to enjoy this new step," he said.

The defender arrives with his passport freshly stamped after leaving River Plate, where things hadn't been easy lately: he had been training apart from the first team under Eduardo Coudet. Pezzella didn't dodge the subject. "What happened at River was public knowledge, but I handled it my own way individually, I doubled down on my efforts given the situation we were in. I'm arriving in good shape, I spoke with Diego Aguirre and told him that in these training sessions I need to get up to the same level as my teammates and find that rhythm, but I've been feeling good. I'm available to him for whatever he needs," he explained, making clear that his physical fine tuning will be gradual.

Why Peñarol and no other destination

Beyond the affection he has for Olivera and Cristóforo, the defender admitted there was something deeper behind the decision: his desire to keep competing at a club with high standards. "There's also my desire to compete. I know I'm coming to a very popular club where the fans set the bar very high, and I like to compete, I like soccer, I like fighting for big things, and I know that's what we're going to do here. Plus, I've had a lot of Uruguayan teammates throughout my career, we're practically the same, and when I arrived I already had that feeling of being at home," he said.

Pezzella arrives with a resume that includes stints at Fiorentina and Betis before his time at River, and he drew on that experience to explain what kind of teammate he is beyond the field. "I feel like the only way I can sleep peacefully is by giving absolutely everything I have, the way I did everywhere I played. I get involved and try to make sure that day to day, the people around me are comfortable... When everyone is pulling in the same direction, with conviction, things fall into place," he said.

He was also asked about Leonel Jaime, the 20 year old Argentine who was his teammate at River and who now also wears the Peñarol jersey. Pezzella spoke about him warmly and praised the courage behind his decision to move abroad so young. "Taking that step of leaving your country and coming to a demanding club says a lot about how much he wants this and how much he believes in his own ability. He's a great kid... we need to help him, stay close to him, try to make sure he keeps feeling comfortable," he said, suggesting he intends to be a guide for the young player in the locker room.