Liverpool vs. Union Saint-Gilloise: A Family Affair

On October 5, 2023, Liverpool faced off against Union Saint-Gilloise in a UEFA Europa League group stage match. It was a proud moment for many, like Ryan Gravenberch, who scored his
first goal as a Liverpool player since joining the previous summer, and Diogo Jota, who doubled the lead in extra time to secure a 2-0 victory. However, the proudest man at Anfield wasn’t on the pitch, but in the stands. Carlos Mac Allister watched on as his son Kevin started in central defence for USG, whilst his other son Alexis replaced Wataru Endo at halftime. For a total of 40 minutes, two of his four children shared the same pitch.

Exclusive Interview with Carlos Mac Allister

In an exclusive interview, Carlos Mac Allister opened up about a number of topics, including:

When did you realize Alexis could be one of the top midfielders in the world?

“We realized early on that all three of them had the potential to become professional footballers, but perhaps Alexis had the most chances to reach the top level. When he was at Brighton, they put him in a more central position… I was telling them that he wouldn’t thrive on the flanks but instead, in midfield. He has a good passing ability, he recovers a lot of balls, he understands the game. He started to grow and develop, and today, he’s in an elite group of footballers. It is very tough to find players who attack and defend… in this facet, he’s a very complete player.”

How did Alexis’ move to Liverpool come to fruition, and what have you made of his progress so far at Anfield?

“When he was about to play in Qatar, we sat down with Brighton and negotiated a good release clause, so that he could deliver a good performance in the World Cup and go to a bigger team, which he did. We chose Liverpool because Klopp wanted him a lot, and they were going through a rebuild. Klopp fell in love with him and gave him a lot of opportunities, which he did not waste.
Alexis is making his mark and having an extraordinary season in a team that is playing very well.
He delivered a fantastic World Cup and a very good Copa América and has shown unique attributes. People mostly talk about Alexis’ offensive abilities, but he also has the seventh-most recoveries in the Premier League. There are many footballers who attack well, many who defend well, but there aren’t many like Alexis who attack and defend well.”

How would you compare Alexis’ performances under Jürgen Klopp vs. Arne Slot?

“He was perhaps a bit more defensive under Klopp, but the difference is that, as you achieve more success, you become more confident. And as you are having success, and you are having confidence, you are increasingly encouraged to do more things, right? And that is what I see.
When you’re worried about not making mistakes, you probably won’t be doing amazing things.
When you’re daring enough to shoot from distance or make that precise pass, you can shine.
Alexis is encouraged to do more difficult things and proving to be an outstanding footballer, and he’s showing that he still has room for growth.”

What was it like watching Alexis win a World Cup with Argentina?

“It was very special for me. Alexis didn’t play a single minute in the first match, which Argentina lost, but then he did very well in the second game and started improving. To see all the newspapers in the world talk about him as one of the revelations of the tournament was incredible. I’m a calm person who tries to stay objective and rational, but I got very emotional… It was impossible to control these emotions.”

Lastly, there are fathers all around the world who want their sons to become a professional footballer. You’ve fathered not one, but three professional footballers. What’s your secret?

“The first thing I’d say is that a parent’s goal should never be for their child to become successful in their profession, but instead educate them to become happy. Boys will be boys, they aren’t machines. They’re going to make the same mistakes that we did when we were kids.
You need to have the patience to educate them, advise them, and speak with them. Never making mistakes isn’t a good thing…they need to know that these mistakes can cause damage, they need to know not to do it again. If they want to become footballers, they need to take care of themselves, they can’t go out at night and smoke and drink, they need to be working hard to be footballers. The most important thing is to live your life with passion. As long as your child is passionate and works hard, you’ll have done your part to put them on the right path.”

Zach Lowy
X: @lowyzach18003