Rubén Vargas on his first six months in Sevilla: "It was all very hectic"

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• After moving to Sevilla FC in January, Rubén Vargas quickly established himself as a regular player.
• The 26-year-old feels at home in Andalusia, appreciates the weather, the quality of life and the close contact with Swiss colleagues such as Ricardo Rodriguez and Djibril Sow.
• He was a Real Madrid fan as a child and dreams of playing at the Bernabéu. Although he didn't get to play against the Whites, he did against Barça with Lamine Yamal - and scored his first goal.

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After five and a half years at FC Augsburg, Rubén Vargas moved to Spain during the winter break. He has settled in "very well" in Seville, even if everything was very hectic in January. "I didn't have much time to settle in," he says in an interview with blue Sport editor-in-chief Andy Böni. The 26-year-old suffered a thigh injury in mid-April. The enforced break at least allowed him to settle in and see a few things.

His favorite thing about Andalusia is the weather. "It's always very nice. The sun is always shining. The people are also very friendly and in a good mood. I feel very comfortable," says Vargas, who also speaks good Spanish thanks to his father, who comes from the Dominican Republic. Due to the climatic conditions, training sessions take place very early or very late in the evening. "This is also something new for me that I have to get used to," admits Vargas.

"It's nice to have Swiss players in the city"

Sevilla FC only finished 17th in the championship and narrowly avoided relegation. However, things did not go badly for the winger personally. The 52-time international immediately established himself as a regular. "I was able to play a lot of games. The injury was a bit unfavorable, but I was still able to show what I can do."

Sevilla have high expectations due to the club's recent history. "But we've had a shake-up and we have to get used to that. With the new coach (ex-professional Matías Almeyda), we'll try to attack in the new season."

The derbies against Betis in particular mean a lot to the "passionate fans", emphasizes Vargas. Ricardo Rodriguez, of all people, is under contract with the city rivals. "I met up with him very often because he doesn't live that far away from me. Of course, we always have a very good time. It's nice to have Swiss people in the city where you can meet up for a coffee from time to time," says Vargas, who has another compatriot in Djibril Sow as a team-mate.

Goal debut against Barça

Vargas has scored two goals in his eleven LaLiga appearances. His goal debut came at home against the great Barcelona. "We may have lost, but it was a very nice feeling," says Vargas proudly. "Lamine Yamal, an exceptional talent, played for our opponents."

"He played a very good game. I often had to defend him. Of course, it's not easy on your own. That's why we always had to cover him in pairs," says Vargas and adds: "It's nice to see players like that and to play against them."

Ruben Vargas (l.) tries to steal the ball from Barça's Lamine Yamal with team-mate Adria Pedrosa.

KEYSTONE

Due to his late transfer and injury in the spring, he has missed many matches against top clubs. "Playing at the Santiago Bernabéu is a dream come true. In Barcelona too, of course." As a child, he supported Real Madrid. "I was always a Ronaldo fan. When he went to Madrid, I supported him. I automatically became a Real fan."

Vargas' goal for the season? "I just want to be able to play as many games as possible. And help the team be successful with goals and assists."