ABU DHABI // Away from the pitch, Sebastian Tagliabue is far removed from his demeanour as a lethal hit man.
He is a dedicated family man at heart. After receiving his three trophies at the Arabian Gulf League awards on Saturday, they were the first thing on his mind.
“They are my love and my life,” Tagliabue said of wife Mariana, daughter Facundo (7) and son Gustavo (5) at the ceremony held at Emirates Palace.
“There is an old saying that every successful man has a woman behind him. It is true, in my life, my wife has been behind my success. She has supported me unconditionally.
“When I reach home, I will give each trophy to my daughter and son. I can’t think anything better than them.”
Tagliabue plans to spend his summer break travelling to China, Japan, Sri Lanka and Spain.
“I love to travel together with my family so I can spend all my time with them when I’m not playing football. I don’t have any other hobbies or habits, but very happy to be with my family,” he said.
“I have a pressure job to handle as a professional footballer. I work very hard both physically and mentally as required by a professional athlete. So I don’t get much time to spend with my family when I’m at work.”
• Watch: Omar Abdulrahman scores directly from a corner for Al Ain
• Also see: John McAuley's 2015/16 Arabian Gulf League Bests and Worsts
Tagliabue won the Foreign Player of the Year, the UAE top flight’s Golden Boot and was named a member of the Team of the Year.
“This is the first time I have won something like this after the top scorer’s award in Saudi Arabia,” he said.
“I couldn’t have achieved all these awards without the support of my fellow players because football is a team game,” said Tagliabue, who topped the scoring charts with 25 goals in 24 matches.
“My colleagues pushed me hard and provided me the opportunities to score goals, which is my main job in the team. So I wouldn’t have achieved all these awards if not for them.”
Tagliabue, 31, made an impressive start at Al Wahda. He emerged as the club's top scorer with 28 in his debut season in 2013/2014 and was the club's top scorer again with 15 the following season.
The Argentine striker, however, held his team’s success above his own performances.
“It’s a good feeling to be recognised for one’s efforts and performances but I would still be happier if my own performances can be matched with the team winning titles,” he said.
“I was the top scorer of course but I didn’t expect the other two awards. I would like to think I did something extraordinary to receive the Foreign Player of the Year award. Personally, I think I had an amazing season.
“We managed to win the Arabian Gulf Cup this season, which is my first title since joining the club three years ago. I hope we can take this momentum forward and do even better next season.
“I always want to give 110 per cent in every game I play. This is my style. I hope I can also raise my level more to face the new challenge next season.”
As a youngster Tagliabue wanted to adapt to the styles of Brazilian Ronaldo and his countryman Gabriel Batistuta.
“I wasn’t as good as them, so I settled to the level of Tagliabue,” he joked.
Tagliabue arrived from Saudi Arabia where he spent three years at both Al Ittifaq and Al Shabab before moving to Wahda on a five-year deal until 2018.
Javier Aguirre, the Wahda coach, said of Tagliabue.
“He’s the first to arrive for training and last to leave home. That’s the kind of commitment he has for his work. He was a deserving recipient of the end-of-season awards.
“This is the kind of reward you get for hard work. Sebastian is a good role model for those youngsters aspiring to become professional players. I am really happy he won three awards on the night.”
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport
