How one can cease Marcos Llorente? It’s a query being requested at Arsenal, who face Llorente’s in a Champions League semi-final first leg on Wednesday, and likewise on the Spanish Ministry of Well being. Throughout the Spanish authorities, Llorente is best often known as a risk to public well being than a risk to Arsenal’s defence.
Llorente, a key participant for Atlético since 2019, is soccer’s most controversial and outspoken “biohacker”. Lately he has generated a stream of headlines for his various views on well being and way of life, lots of which have been posted to his hundreds of thousands of social media followers, whereas additionally rising as a high-profile conspiracy theorist.
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It has led to a outstanding state of affairs: this 31-year-old Spanish worldwide, one of the recognisable faces in La Liga, has turn into an enemy of well being officers throughout his nation. The secretary of state for well being, Javier Padilla, and main figures on the Spanish Nationwide Most cancers Analysis Centre are amongst those that have despaired at his beliefs.
In a social media publish two years in the past, Padilla described Llorente as follows: “Marcos Llorente, soccer participant and melanoma denier. What a time to be alive.” Extra not too long ago, the pinnacle of the most cancers analysis centre accused Llorente of spreading a “worrying hoax”.
What makes Llorente, who is anticipated to start out towards , such a difficult foe for these well being specialists? The first drawback is his view on daylight and sunscreen.
“When you assume pores and skin most cancers is brought on by solar publicity, you’re the king of ignorance,” he stated on social media in 2024. Earlier this yr, he posed in a sunscreen costume adorned with the phrases: “Safety towards your biology” and “blocking Vitamin D since 1985”. The costume additionally included a graph suggesting that instances of melanoma have risen together with gross sales of sunscreen.
The response from Marisol Soengas, the pinnacle of the melanoma group on the Spanish Nationwide Most cancers Analysis Centre, was emphatic. “It’s a worrying hoax,” Soengas informed Infobae earlier this month. “It has been recognized for many years, by epidemiological research, that the harm induced by sunburn to pores and skin cells will increase the danger of melanoma and different cancers.”
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Llorente’s perception is that the solar’s rays “ought to all the time hit your eyes and pores and skin, with out something interfering”. On the difficulty of the solar damaging pores and skin, he defined his views by telling SPORT: “The issue is if you happen to spend the entire yr with out seeing the solar and also you then exit within the first week of August and spend seven hours on the seaside. Who’s in charge? The solar, that has been up there all yr?
“If, for instance, you don’t practice all yr after which in August you attempt to squat 200kg and also you break your knee, is it the train’s fault or your fault? The identical factor occurs with the solar.”
Llorente’s standing as a well being influencer has been boosted by his use of social media. He has 2.5 million followers on Instagram and commonly posts pictures of his toned physique, alongside lengthy explainers of his views.
Llorente’s method to solar publicity has generated probably the most controversy, however he doesn’t cease there. He’s equally passionate concerning the risks of synthetic lighting, for instance, which he describes as “not pure and never wholesome”. He consequently wears yellow-tinted glasses indoors and promotes using pink lighting after sundown.
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“Your physique understands the world by mild and darkness,” he stated final yr. “When you confuse your inner clock, you mess up your system… I didn’t study at universities, I discovered by expertise, beneath the solar, in touch with the earth, surrounded by professionals and listening to my physique.”
One other space of curiosity for Llorente is the idea of “grounding”, which entails strolling barefoot on pure surfaces.
Llorente’s place inside Spanish tradition is a curious one. His views on sunscreen, evidently, have triggered alarm. His yellow sun shades have turn into one thing of a operating joke, as has his obvious assist of the “chemtrails” conspiracy idea, which means that condensation trails left by planes are literally chemical compounds sprayed at excessive altitude for secret functions.
Llorente has practically 300 appearances for Atletico in all competitions since he joined from in 2019 – Joaquin Corchero/Getty Pictures
And but, on the identical time, there are additionally many who respect Llorente for sure parts of his way of life. On the difficulty of diet, for instance, he has gained admirers for talking concerning the risks posed by sugar, ultra-processed meals and fat. Llorente follows a strict Palaeolithic weight-reduction plan, which relies on entire and unprocessed meals, and doesn’t eat after sundown.
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On the coronary heart of the talk is the truth that Llorente is undeniably an exceptional athlete. On the pitch, his recreation is outlined by tireless operating and relentless vitality. It’s not unreasonable for his supporters due to this fact to say that his “biohacking”, for all of the ridicule it’d provoke, is working. Or, at the least, that sure elements of it are working for him.
Llorente, at a primary stage, considers himself to be residing a pure life, prioritising pure meals and pure mild.
“I’m not a weirdo,” he stated final month. “The bizarre ones are the others. I really feel like a standard man. I do issues which might be clearly not widespread in immediately’s world, however they’re very regular. I perceive that in immediately’s society it’s laborious to observe the approach to life I lead, as a result of it’s not simple. However I feel it’s what ought to be performed and what we now have been doing for a lot of extra years than what’s being performed now.
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“Ultimately we’re pure beings and we reside in a pure world, proper? This life is main us to the unreal, which I imagine shouldn’t be proper or wholesome.”
Llorente evidently believes that these habits, ideas and theories are elementary to his success as an athlete. In opposition to Arsenal, in one of many largest matches of his profession, he’ll look to display why his distinctive method off the pitch makes him a singular power on it.
Arsenal should ‘adapt’ as storm threatens to blow European dream off track
Arsenal’s Champions League ambitions could possibly be threatened by excessive climate circumstances in Madrid, with extreme rain and storms anticipated within the Spanish capital forward of Wednesday’s semi-final towards Atlético Madrid.
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Big downpours are predicted within the hours earlier than kick-off, with the state meteorological company warning of “vital hazard” posed by the circumstances. Madrid’s metropolis council has additionally activated its flood motion plan.
The state of affairs could possibly be made much more sophisticated due to current points with the pitch on the Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium. Issues with the turf contributed to of their last-16 match towards Atlético earlier this season.
, who have been defeated by Atlético within the quarter-final earlier this month, have been additionally left deeply unimpressed by the taking part in floor on the Metropolitano. It was reported in Spain that Barcelona lodged an official grievance with Uefa earlier than the second leg in Madrid.
Barcelona have been knocked out of the Champions League by Atletico Madrid 3-2 on combination – Oscar del Pozo/Getty Pictures
Mikel Arteta, the Arsenal supervisor, stated his gamers are able to “adapting to any context”.
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“For the final 9 months, think about the quantity of video games we now have performed,” he stated. “We have now performed in numerous eventualities, completely different contexts, with completely different opponents. So we’ll adapt to the circumstances tomorrow in the absolute best solution to be ourselves and win the sport.”
Martin Odegaard, the Arsenal captain, challenged his staff to “make historical past” by successful the Champions League for the primary time. Arsenal are the membership that has performed probably the most European Cup or Champions League video games with out lifting the trophy.
“It’s huge for all of us,” Odegaard stated. “We’re in an important place to make historical past and that’s what we need to do. I’ve been on this membership for some time now and I’ve seen the development since I first got here, how a lot we’ve improved and the steps we’ve taken.
“It’s been superb to be part of that and I need to take that final step and do one thing actually massive. That’s the most important aim, the most important dream and that’s what we’re working in the direction of each single day.”
Piero Hincapie and his Arsenal team-mates get pleasure from fun throughout coaching – Stuart MacFarlane/Getty Pictures
Arteta vowed to go on the entrance foot on this first leg, somewhat than taking a cautious method earlier than the return fixture on the Emirates Stadium.
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“It’s an enormous privilege to be right here once more, two years in a row within the semi-final of the Champions League,” Arteta stated, having tasted at this stage of the competitors final season.
“What a possibility – we’re going to seize it with each arms. We’re going to see a staff that desires to be dominant, that desires to win it, and that desires to determine the tie tomorrow.”