As Julian Alvarez continues to grab the headlines for his splendid performances for Argentina at the World Cup, many have wondered what the origins are behind his signature celebration.
Why does Argentina hero Julian Alvarez do the ‘spider’ celebration?
In an interview with Manchester City’s YouTube channel, Julian Alvarez’s brother revealed that he has always been nicknamed, “La Arana” (spider in Spanish).
“The nickname of ‘La Arana’ started when we were kids. We were looking for a nickname to call him.”
The Argentina striker’s father chimed in, “It was always complicated to steal the ball from him, he always looked like he had several legs.”
“He was so small and he used to go crazy fast, and no one could take the ball from him. When other teams came to Calchin (municipality in Argentina), they always asked: ‘Is the little spider playing today?’
“It all began there. And then, Julian [as the name people generally called him] didn’t exist anymore. He started to be “La Arana.”
The £14.1 million sensation once said in a TV interview (via Manchester Evening News) during his time at River Plate that he decided to do the spider celebration as it became the name everyone used to address him by.
“Some friends suggested it [the celebration] because my name is spider and I did it”, he said.
Will the 22-year-old do the celebration if he scores for Argentina in the World Cup final?
The question should be whether Julian Alvarez will score for Argentina in the World Cup final.
If he does, there is no doubt that he will pull off his signature celebration for the world to see.
So far this season as well as in Qatar, Julian Alvarez has always done the gesture, which is expected to be mimicked by millions of Argentine fans around the world.
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