Roberto Alarcón went from starter to injured to spectator in a matter of weeks this past season. There’s the physical pain that comes with that, and a mental anguish, too.
And while that’s an unfortunate reality in all pro sports, it’s also ultimately part of why the veteran fullback has just signed on with Valour FC after spending the last two years with Cavalry FC.
“I was injured for four months after pulling my hamstring this season and that makes it difficult when the team is doing well and you are ready to come back,” began Alarcón in a conversation with valourfootball.club from his offseason base in Spain and not long after his signing with the club became official.
“So, I just asked for the chance to go somewhere else and start a new period in my career. As a player you really need to feel that trust and after talking with Phillip (Dos Santos, Valour GM and head coach) I feel that from him. That’s why Valour is the best opportunity for me to grow as a footballer. I’m very excited.”
Alarcón brings 28 matches and over 1,600 minutes of Canadian Premier League experience to Valour FC and could play a pivotal role in the team’s makeover after missing the playoffs in 2023.
He spent 2018-20 with RCD Mallorca B in the Spanish Tercera Division before coming to North America with FC Tucson in 2020. He then played nine matches with Universitatea Cluj in Romania over 2021-22 before joining Calvary in the 2022 summer transfer window.
Instantly he caught the eye of Dos Santos and the Valour coaching staff.
“We’ve always liked him, and he has a lot of the qualities that I look for in a fullback,” Dos Santos said. “I told the staff he’s the type of player we need to find in the market. This year he started the season and played in the first 10 games before he was injured, and it kept him out for nearly six weeks. During that period Calgary’s coaching staff found other ways and other players that played Roberto’s role and when he came back from injury, Cavalry was winning.
“You know how football works – you go from a high to suddenly things being more difficult. It doesn’t take away how you were as a player before the injury or the fact that you’re still the player that brought a lot of quality to the team. But that’s also when we started to keep our eyes peeled, wondering what was going to happen to Roberto. A month before the season I inquired about him. It was a four-month process to try to get this done, especially with him being an international and how hit and miss that can be. When we started to talk to him, we came to an agreement.”
Alarcón, a 25-year-old product of Palma de Mallorca, Spain, described himself as an experienced fullback who is good with the ball and reads the game well. Dos Santos added this about his newest recruit:
“He has a lot of quality going forward. His crossing ability is very high and he’s also a player who could help us on free-kick and corner kick delivery. He’s an attacking fullback with a lot of tenacity in his game. He’s a real competitor and he defends with that in mind.”
Alarcón said he knew once he had returned to health that his days with Cavalry were likely going to come to an end, especially with that squad on a run to a berth in the CPL championship.
The silver lining to that was the instant interest Valour showed in him.
“I had known for a long time that I wasn’t going to stay at Cavalry and so when Phillip was in contact with me, I told him I really like the football they play and their style,” he said. “The negotiations took a little bit, but I’m so excited to be coming there.
“They play good football; good with the ball, good possession and that fits with how I play. I like to have the football and help in the attack and so I think I can help.
“I’m coming to a team to fight for something. I know Valour is going to fight this year.”