![]() The European Cup undoubtedly had to be a focal point, as they’ve won it more times than any other team. I know their history so well, and I knew that Di Stéfano was safe. They’ve had so many legendary players but there isn’t room for everyone. “For Real Madrid, the main issue was deciding which players to leave out. I like to put little hidden easter eggs into each piece, like the chicken – a reference to the nickname ‘chickens’ given to River Plate by the rival fans of Boca Juniors – and the machine firing bits of paper around – a nod to the Argentine tradition of throwing confetti onto the pitch and decorating the stands.” I decided to include their stadium in the work, the Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti, which is also the biggest stadium in Argentina. I also had to include the iconic Copa Libertadores trophy. After that, I could include legends like Labruna and Gallardo. After my research, it was clear that the famous shield had to be the main character. River Plate is a machine with an incredible history that works wonderfully and builds connections between its legends of the past and its stars of the present to succeed.įor each of these covers, I have to choose which elements or players of the club need to be the main protagonists. I decided to create a machine that would capture how well the club has been playing in recent years under the guidance of their manager Marcelo Gallardo. “When it came to making a cover for River Plate, it was clear we couldn’t refer to Buenos Aires too much, because it’s also the home of their greatest rivals, Boca Juniors. Those are details that you have to take into account, and why it’s so important that I do my research, because the fans of the club aren’t going to forgive even the smallest mistake." They last won it in 1992, the season before the league was renamed as the Premier League, a competition they have since never won. The cup that’s shown is that of the Football League First Division, which Leeds have won three times. I also included their current manager Marcelo Bielsa, and Mark Viduka, one of their more recent stars. Most of the players I chose to include played for their most legendary side of the 1960s and 70s. I choose aspects of the city, its history and that of the club and merge them all together. I was inspired by the Leeds market’s amazing metal coffered ceiling, which I also included. I also wanted to include two architectural elements of the city, its two bridges over the Aire river, which are beautiful. I decided that everything was going to happen inside a factory, with the famous shield from the club’s crest being assembled right there inside. I walk through its most emblematic streets, and I look for tourist guides or blogs that talk a little about the most well-known places and cultural details of the city.Īfter that research, I knew my piece had to involve an industrial element, because the city has such a rich working history. I read their history and that of the city, and I went on Google Maps, which is something I do when I don’t know the club’s city so well. “For Leeds I had to do some really extensive research, because I wasn’t that familiar with the club. ![]() “And it’s very special to be able to bring my work to fans around the world.” “Working with something people care so much about is an honor,” he says. The committed fans of these clubs might bring some pressure, but it’s also what makes the work so special to Javier. I want to know every idiosyncrasy of a club before I start work.” ![]() I check every date, every shirt, every player. “I feel a little bit of pressure in that way, but it’s what makes the project interesting,” he says. Of course, Javier can’t include everything in one illustration, and there will always be some fans who aren’t happy about the omission of a particular player. Architecture is such a big part of it, and a city’s heritage can tell us a lot about a club’s identity.” “In this sport, the city is more important than almost everything else. “Football teams are almost always linked to a city, a neighborhood, a monument, a stadium,” he says. He also zooms in on the cities the clubs represent, including well-known landmarks and local facts in each piece. He brings as many signature aspects of the club as he can into his works, from legendary players to iconic footballing moments. ![]() So far, he’s made illustrations depicting some of the most historic clubs in the history of the game, from the gargantuan Real Madrid to the famed Buenos Aires side River Plate. So it was the perfect news when These Football Times, an independent magazine that digs deep into a different club in each issue, asked him to design some of their cover images. I’m passionate about its history, its stadiums,” says illustrator Javier Arrés, who used to play as a goalkeeper as a child in the city of Granada. “I’ve been a fan of football since I was a child.
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