NEW JERSEY - With a new look and a great desire to begin the new season, Alvaro Pereira spoke to Radio Appiano on Inter Channel, explaining: "It was a bit annoying playing with a ponytail, especially when I headed the ball. So when I went back to Uruguay at the end of last season I decided to cut it all off.
"I'm well, we're working hard for next season to perform as best we can and get the campaign off to the best possible start."
Next it was on to the national team and questions about Uruguay: "The national team's unique in that the more time we spend together, the better we are. I don't like talking about Inter and the national team in the same way because they're two different things. I've always said it, a player needs to give everything for his club side all year long. Last season was, I don't know if I'd call it a disaster, but we didn't do what everyone expected us to do as a team, club and staff. That's why when I joined up with the national team I was really hungry to do well, then go on holiday and come back in the best possible condition with the desire to bounce back. As a footballer and as a man, that's what I want to do this season. A new coach has come in, he works well and we all have great confidence in him and ourselves that we can have a good league season."
Walter Mazzarri asks for a lot from his wing-backs, Pereira included: "This is something that motivates me and gives me responsibility. Over the last 27 years, being a footballer has taught me something new every day, as a person too. That's why I'm always willing to listen, I want to do what the coach asks of me and give 100% to achieve it. Then we'll see whether I play or not, but as a footballer I want to do what the coach asks of me, to the best of my ability.
"Having such big games helps us because, first and foremost as a team, we need to get to grips with the system the coach wants us to play. We need to remember that you always play to win, be it a friendly, a league match or any other for that matter, even in a short training game. This has to be the team's mentality, we need to get used to winning, even with a scrappy goal, because one victory leads to another. Am I confident about this season? I'm the first to criticise myself when I know I've not performed well, but last season is behind us and we look forward."
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