On October 27, Vargas contributed 6 assists in 6 matches with his outstanding performance since joining Shanghai Seaport. In an interview released by Shanghai Seaport, he shared a story about Wu Lei and his idol Lionel Messi.
--Why did you choose to travel to our country and what motivated you to make that decision?
Vargas replied, "First of all, of course, it was Wu Lei's recommendation. He introduced me to the harbor in detail and the Chinese Super League is a brand new challenge for me. I remember two years ago, I joked with Wu Lei that if he ever returned to China in the future, I would come back with him. I didn't expect the joke to come true. I've always been interested in China as a country, and I've seen reports of China's development both when I played in Argentina and in Europe. To be able to join such a big club, and Wu Lei has shown me around the city, I have a very good impression of the place and it has completely exceeded my expectations. I am very happy to be able to continue my career in the harbor."
--You and Wu Lei have a combination of names such as "Wu Ba Link" and "Wu Ba Tong Cheng", do you like this name?
Vargas smiled and said: "I know this combination name, after the last game, Wu Lei ran over with his cell phone and discussed with me to shout together 'wu ba', I was a little confused at that time, but quickly reacted and knew that he was talking about both of our names, which means that there is a good understanding between us. That's exactly why we got the combo name. He knows me and knows that when he goes to run out of space, I can pass to him. I don't know where that understanding came from, it actually existed the first time we played together at Espanyol. I remember it was a friendly match and I saw him make a run, I gave him a gesture and a look and passed the ball, which resulted in the opponent fouling him and the referee awarding a penalty, which we ended up relying on to win."
--You've played in Argentina, Spain, and Turkey, and now that you're in China, what do you think is the difference in the style of soccer here?
Vargas said, "Football can be a lot different in different countries, it's hard to compare because there are different cultures. But as a player, you need to be prepared for anything and wherever I go, I need to keep myself in good shape. If I just indulge myself and don't rest well, drink or watch what I eat from time to time, I won't be able to play a good game and I need to protect myself and train well. As for the soccer environment, it's also different in every place, for example, in my hometown, everyone plays soccer, a 4 year old, or even a 1 year old, you can see them with a soccer ball in their hands, it's like that everywhere, including the girls, they can play soccer anywhere. I think every place has different popular sports, for example in China, maybe table tennis is very popular, in Argentina it's soccer, every kid wants to be a player like Messi or Maradona, for me I enjoy soccer, that's the most important thing."
-Saw you post a video earlier where Wulai took you to try roast duck, what did you think of the flavor?
Vargas replied, "Yes, the roast duck is really good. I haven't tried too many other things yet, Wu Lei and I have said that there's so much good food here, but I'm definitely paying more attention to my diet during the tournament, so I'll try it when I have time. I recently went to an Argentinian restaurant because I was homesick, just like Wu Lei used to go to Chinese restaurants in Spain at the time, we both wanted to try the flavors of home."
--Who is your own soccer idol?
Vargas replied without hesitation, "Messi. In my opinion, he's the best of all time and I'm honored to have played against him on the pitch. He can do anything on the pitch and you can't imagine what he can do, his technique is fantastic. Of course, I have some other players that I really admire, like David Silva, De Bruyne, and Riquelme, who is really the best No. 10 in the midfield."
