“When the Eyes of the World Are Upon You, It’s Unforgettable”: Diego Gavilán Looks Back on Career

Diego Gavilan at FIFA World Cup 2002 (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Bongarts/Getty Images)

Across his 44 years, Diego Gavilán has been on the receiving end of several phone calls that will live long in his memory. There was the call from his father Antonio, who informed him that he might be joining Newcastle and becoming the first Paraguayan player in Premier League history. There was the call from Paraguay manager Éver Almeida, who told him that he’d be playing in a Copa América on home soil, and the call from Paraguay manager Cesare Maldini, who told him that he’d be representing his country in a World Cup. However, on September 20, 2024, Diego endured the worst phone call of his entire life: his father had passed away at the age of 77.

“It was the worst thing that happened to me in my entire life,” said Diego in an exclusive interview with RG. “I was in the United States at the time and received the call from my mother, the worst call that I’ve ever received from anyone. From the moment that I decided to become a professional footballer, from the moment I decided to become a professional manager, I’ve given my all to repay my father for all the work that he’s done for my training, food, and support, for accompanying me to England and Brazil and even leaving my sister in Paraguay to help me through the whole process. It’s been very hard living without him, but it makes me feel at peace knowing that he has been able to see his son achieve so many things.”

In an exclusive RG interview (read Part One here), Diego discussed various topics including:

What was it like being nicknamed the “Paraguayan David Beckham” and dealing with all that early hype?

“I was given that nickname by a technical assistant in the Paraguay national team who I later ended up working with as a coach. He watched a lot of European football and likened me to him because of the similarities with Beckham, from the number to the position to the way I’d whip in my crosses. I never bought into that. I actually had the chance to play against Beckham later, but our careers have been totally different. I wish I could’ve achieved half of what he did as a footballer.”

“However, the mere fact of leaving my country is a massive accomplishment that perhaps you don’t realize in the moment.

A 19-year-old boy will dedicate his day to playing, training, and taking care of himself…he doesn’t even realize that he should be enjoying the moment. Today, with the years that have passed, you realize what you’ve achieved and where you’ve arrived, and just how difficult it was to get there. It was a very important step for Paraguayan football and mainly for a teenager who changed the dynamic of his entire family.”

What were the toughest things to adjust to in England?

“Apart from the language barrier, the toughest things to get used to were the weather, the style of play, and the physicality. I left Paraguay during the summer for Newcastle in the winter, when it was at its coldest. I had to adapt to the direct style of play in England that’s predicated upon physicality and winning second balls. I also weighed 70 kilos at the time, so entering a Newcastle squad mainly composed of guys who were 30 or older was not easy. The style of play was totally different to South America, and it was tough for a lightweight, albeit quick players like myself to adjust. Perhaps taking an intermediate jump would have allowed me to mature a bit more before going to the Premier League, the best league in the world. I’d have liked to have had a little more training, physical development, and experience before moving to England.”

What was it like playing in the World Cup?

“It was every kid’s dream, but when you’re going to a World Cup as a player, you’re solely focused on playing football, you try to block out the noise and avoid going to parties, so you don’t realize just how magnificent this spectacle is. Being able to compete against the best players in the world, being one of the 23 players chosen to represent your country, and singing the national anthem; it’s everything that a player could ask for. Knowing just how difficult the journey was to reach that point, knowing that an entire country is watching you, emotionally, it impacts you a lot. But the best thing about that moment is being able to say to yourself, ‘I achieved this.’”

“Apart from that, the best thing was that my family was also there, enjoying these moments and watching me in the World Cup. Behind every player, there are people who have to work hard, make sacrifices and give up certain things, so this is a prize for them as well. Whether you’re a player, coach, physical trainer, journalist, or a fan, anyone would pay to be in a World Cup again. When the eyes of the entire world are on you, it’s truly unforgettable. I only have two shirts hanging up in my gallery – the Paraguay jerseys from the 2002 and 2006 World Cup.”

Is Sérgio Conceição the right man to take charge of Milan?

“I followed him a lot in Portugal, and I'm not surprised that he went to Milan, or that he managed to win a title immediately after joining, a title against none other than Inter. That’s a massive credit to him. In comparison to Liga Portugal, Serie A is a lot more tactical and played in short spaces, but Conceição is a coach who can mark an era at Milan due to his personality, methodology, history, and way of being. Those viral videos of him celebrating in the locker room make it so that these players can see him in a different light and have an important bond, and enjoy a more comfortable coexistence on a day-to-day basis. I think that he can do very well in Milan.”

What was it like coaching Cerro Porteño?

“The period of Cerro had two different stages – first, in the academy. Coaching the youth teams was basically like taking a mirror into the past and training a young Diego; there was so much desire for these kids to mature as players in order to achieve their dreams like I did. Then, I was able to complete one of my objectives by coaching a club that myself and my family support. My father is no longer alive today, but I thank God every day that he was able to witness this in his life.”

Miguel Almirón followed in your footsteps by becoming Newcastle’s second Paraguayan footballer…what did you make of his time at Newcastle?

“He had two different chapters at Newcastle. He had a tough start and found it hard to fit into the team and convince, but he was able to turn things around under Eddie Howe and conquer his spot in the first team. He’s made a name for himself in the Premier League, something that’s not easy to do. He helped the team return to the Champions League, he became the ninth Paraguayan player to score in the Champions League, and today, he’s not just a highly valued country in Paraguay, but in England and throughout the world. He is someone that the fans adore for his way of being, his humility, and his simplicity; he’s a genuine guy and apart from being a great footballer, he has shown that he can help the team. Although he was playing fewer matches, I’d have liked him to remain at Newcastle, a city where people love him a lot, and a city that he himself loves.”

What was it like playing in a Copa América in your own country?

“The 1999 Copa was very nice, but it was also very short. The film ended rather quickly, but that entire month was a beautiful thing…we had a great time. Later, when we went to play the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in Paraguay, the stadium was packed with supporters, you could feel the love and affection, and thankfully, we were able to achieve positive results and achieve a strong link with Albirroja fans.”

Does Diego Gómez have what it takes to make the jump from MLS to the Premier League and cement a spot in Brighton’s team?

“Diego has something which is fundamental – mental focus. He is a very serious player who has the physical ability to play in 3-4 positions, but it doesn’t matter where you put him, he can find the back of the net. He’s played as an inside midfielder with the national team as well as a right-sided midfielder, a left-sided midfielder and even as a false 9 and a second striker. He’s had an impressive growth at a professional level, establishing a place in an Inter Miami team alongside Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba. While he’s a quiet guy, he’s very lively on the pitch. He has matured, grown, and still maintains a high level of football. He can adapt to whatever position, but if they play him as an interior, he can end up surprising many of us. He has the ability, quality, and mental strength to quickly adapt to the Premier League.”

You had an incredibly successful playing career, but are there any decisions that you regret?

“Looking back on it today, I probably wouldn't have left Europe so soon, but I needed to start playing regularly in order to be included in Paraguay’s squad for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. That’s why I went to Mexico to play 24-25 games and earn a call-up, but perhaps if I’d have had a little more patience and stayed in Europe, my career could have been a completely different story. I felt well-prepared for the move to England, even though I was very young, but I didn’t really get chances to play due to having high-level competition in Nolberto Solano, which was tough to overcome.”

“Perhaps with a bit more mental strength and patience, I’d have stayed in Europe for longer. Perhaps with a bit more playing opportunities, I could’ve done a lot better in England.

However, given what I was able to achieve in Brazil, I don’t regret leaving Newcastle one bit. There’s also stuff like leaving Internacional after three years, going to Argentina, and watching as Internacional became champions of South America and the world, where I ask myself today, ‘Why did I do this?’ But when you make a decision, you have to accept it no matter what, even though there’s always a chance of screwing up.”

Lastly, it’s been 16 months since you last coached a team…what’s next for you?

“I’ve used these last 16 months to learn new methodologies, and I have never stood still. I’m anxious to return to the touchline, a place where I can develop a project. I don’t like going to a place where the plans are not clearly defined. You’ve got to prepare in order to reap the rewards, and after 16 months away from coaching, I’m trying to make the best decision and choose the best place where I can do exactly what I achieved in Cerro. I managed to not only win titles, but help various players reach the first team, play in the Olympics and earn lucrative transfers. I need to find a place where I can plant seeds and develop my methodology, so that by the time I finally depart, I’ll have left a legacy in that club. I don’t like going to a club for 3-4 games and then leaving without making my mark. I don’t want to go to a club just to put it on my resume, I want to win titles, build a project, and be remembered for something.”