Valentin Castellanos, who is the footballer who scored four goals for Real Madrid- Corriere.it

It will be that Girona belongs to the galaxy of Manchester City owners but last night Valentin «El Taty» Castellanos he has decided to play Haaland on duty, indeed to go even further than the Norwegian centre-forward, Real Madrid’s next opponent in the Champions League. For him, four goals in the 4-2 victory against the Merengues.

Haaland hasn’t yet given the Blancos a poker, in the history of football very few have succeeded. The latest is Diego Costa in the summer of 2019 in a summer friendly, he finished 7-3 for Atletico Madrid. We have to go back to 2013 to find the last poker in an official match, it was Lewandowski in the Champions League at the time of Borussia Dortmund, in the 2013 semi-finals. In the club of «pokeristas» against Real Madrid there is also the former Inter player Diego Soldier who scored four goals in the semi-final of the Copa del Rey with the Zaragoza shirt. (1944) and Esteban Echevarría (1947). Echevarria even scored five and is the last to score more than three goals against Real Madrid in a La Liga match, he wore the Oviedo shirt.

But who is El Taty Castellanos? He was born in Argentina in 1998, in Mendoza but has an atypical path because he has played very little in his homeland. Only in the youth teams of Independiente Rivadavia. No team in Argentina has decided to believe in him, so Castellanos emigrates first at the Universidad de Chile and then in Uruguay at Torque. In the Montevideo club Castellanos gets promoted to the top flight and convinces the Uruguayan club to redeem him but in the summer of 2018 the adventure that changes his life begins. He goes on loan outright to New York City, he’s one of those who married Mls as done by the Italians Insigne and Bernardeschi. The American dream attracts talent from around the world: just think of Almada, world champion who plays for Atlanta FC, Carlos Vela, Chicharito Hernandez, Carles Gil, who grew up in Valencia.

In New York Domenec Torrent wanted him, Pep Guardiola’s historic assistant, who then moved first to Flamengo and then to Galatasaray. Castellanos affirms his talent in Mls, scores 59 goals in four years, becomes an idol at Yankee Stadium, the home of New York City’s home games, in the Bronx. In 2020 he joined the Argentina Under-23 national teambrings home six appearances but the breakthrough year is 2021, wins the championship, the title of top scorer and enters the Best 11 of Major League Soccer.

As a child, El Taty was a fan of San Lorenzo – the Pope’s team -: after the American adventure, he foresees the opportunity to go to River Plate, but the deal does not go through and the dream of playing in Argentina does not materialize . He then arrives at Girona and, last night, from Catalonia he also gave joy to the Blaugrana fans, Barcelona, ​​who if today beats Rayo Vallecano, goes +14 over Real Madrid and brings home a piece of the Liga victory

Football changes in an instant, takes away and gives away in no time. On April 10, Girona drew 0-0 at the Camp Nou, and right Castellanos missed a goal in front of Ter Stegen. A wasted opportunity that cost him criticism and insults to the point of having to close his social accounts. Fifteen days later, El Taty grabbed the cover of Spanish and world football, a poker of goals against Ancelotti’s Real Madrid he delivered it to the history of football.

A lion, the May sun, the line “we swear to die with glory” from the national anthem, the meaning of his mother Marilu’s name, then another text that reads “my family is everything”, and a clock which marks the time of the debut in Primera with the U of Chile: these are the tattoos that fill his body. His great passion in addition to mate. Without ever having played professionally in his homeland, that tournament in which he was crowned champion 3 years ago is also his only experience with the Albiceleste shirt, which he dreams of wearing again.