Sporting: Maxi recalls childhood struggles when rain poured through his roof

Long before establishing himself in European football and with the Uruguay national team, Maxi Araújo lived through periods of extreme hardship. In an interview with the Uruguayan Football Association's official media channels, the Sporting player reflected on his beginnings at Montevideo Wanderers, recalling the day he arrived late for a first-team training session. Reprimanded by then-manager Jorge Giordano—now the director of national teams at the AUF—the youngster eventually broke down and revealed the reason for his delay.

"It was raining inside my house and we had to wake up at dawn. The rain hadn't stopped for days," he recalled. Moved by his story, the coach turned words into action and personally paid to repair the roof of the family home. "Seeing it fixed was one of the most beautiful feelings of my life. I started crying," Maxi revealed, explaining that his earnings at the time barely covered basic living expenses. More than a decade later, the gesture remains vivid: "I thank him all the time. I will carry that act with me for the rest of my life."

His struggles, however, were not limited to his youth. Later in Mexico while playing for Puebla, he spent nearly a full year out of action and even contemplated returning to Uruguay. "Life gave me another chance. That was where it all began," he emphasized.
From that point forward, his career took off. He earned a starting role, established himself, and fulfilled his dream of representing his country's senior national team. "I used to sleep wearing the jersey," he confessed, looking back at his appearances in the Copa América and his breakthrough during the qualifiers and at the World Cup.

One of his most memorable moments for Uruguay came when he scored against Cape Verde (2-2) and dedicated the goal to his idol, Luis Suárez: "When they showed him on the stadium screens, everyone started cheering. I looked at the screen and felt something incredible. I shared the dressing room with him and he treated me like a son," he revealed.

Currently on international duty with Uruguay on their Asian tour—which wraps up next Tuesday in a friendly against India—Maxi Araújo also discussed his situation at Sporting and the tactical differences between club and country.
"The new head coach, Diego Forlán, asks me to play with freedom and make diagonal runs inside from the left to target the goal," explained Sporting's number 20, contrasting it with the left-back role he predominantly plays at Alvalade.