Sports · Football · 1 hr ago
Mateo Chávez hopes to face Armando González in the Europa League
AZ Alkmaar defender Mateo Chávez hopes to face Olympiacos forward Armando González in the Europa League.
The two players are childhood friends who came through the same youth teams, first at Necaxa in Aguascalientes and later at Chivas.
They now play for different clubs, with Chávez in the Netherlands and González in Greece.
A meeting is possible only if both teams advance from the league phase and land in the same knockout tie.
Olympiacos has won its first two matches, while AZ has one win and one loss.
AZ beat Hapoel Be’er Sheva 2-1 after losing to Sunderland in its opening match.
Chávez said he hopes González scores more goals, but also wants him to feel the pressure of playing away at AZ’s stadium.
Mateo Chávez hopes to face his friend Armando González in a later round of the Europa League.
Chávez, a defender for AZ Alkmaar, wants to host González’s Olympiacos at the AFAS Stadion.
He said he hopes González scores as much as possible, but wants him to feel the pressure of playing away.
A meeting is not guaranteed: both clubs must advance from the league phase and land in the same knockout bracket.
The players knew each other as children, later shared Chivas’ youth teams and made their first-team debuts.
- Who
- Mateo Chávez of AZ Alkmaar hopes to face Armando González of Olympiacos.
- What
- Chávez wants to host González in a Europa League match.
- When
- In a later round of the Europa League, if both clubs advance and meet.
- Where
- At the AFAS Stadion, AZ Alkmaar’s home ground.
- Why
- Chávez wants to compete against his friend and have him feel the pressure of playing away.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Chávez and González met in Necaxa’s youth teams in Aguascalientes.
They reunited in Chivas’ youth teams, shared a dressing room and went on to make their first-team debuts.
Chávez played two friendly matches against Olympiacos.
AZ lost to Sunderland, then beat Hapoel Be’er Sheva 2-1, with Chávez coming on as a substitute.
Chávez said he hoped to face González in a later Europa League round.
- AZ Alkmaar
- One win and one loss in the league phase at the time of the report
- Olympiacos
- Two wins in its first league-phase matches; the article also reports six points
- AZ Alkmaar vs Hapoel Be’er Sheva
- 2-1
- Potential venue
- AFAS Stadion
- Childhood meeting
- Necaxa youth teams in Aguascalientes, around ages 5 or 6
What people are saying
I hope he scores as many goals as possible. I hope to see him in the next round because we’ll be waiting for him here at the AFAS so he can feel the weight of the stadium.
Now let’s hope we face each other in the Europa League in the next round.
I think we’re great friends. I’m very happy when those things happen to him, and I know he’s happy for me too.
I know how much it has cost him to get where he is, to achieve his goals too. I learn a lot from Hormi.