Meet Almendra, the pet that saved Ricardo Gareca’s quarantine

Clarification: This note was originally published on June 7, 2020. It is updated with the authorization of the author and on the occasion of Ricardo Gareca’s birthday.

“This quarantine has led me to do what I criticized so much: be on my cell phone all the time,” he tells us. Ricardo Gareca through a conversation on the Zoom platform. The Peruvian national team coach has always rebelled against modernity. It does not matter if this world is filmed in high definition, the main references of the ‘Tiger’ are black and white memories. When asked what breed of dog he would prefer to have at home, Gareca said that he always liked Lassie, that collie that became a television star during the 1960s and 1970s. The Argentine coach was out of the country when Nicolás Rey, press officer for the national team, sent him the first photos of Almendra. It was a little less than a month before social isolation began in Peru. Ricardo Gareca, at that time, did not know that he was summoning what was going to be his main and only company for almost three months.

During the second half of January this year, the Peruvian Under 23 team disputed the Pre-Olympic in Colombia and Ricardo Gareca traveled to supervise the work of Nolberto Solano. Between match and match, there was a lot of conversation in the national delegation, Nicolás Rey told Gareca that he had pets at home. The “Tiger” recalled that the last dogs he had at home was during his childhood in the town of Tapiales. “Wouldn’t you like to have a pet, Professor?”King asked him. Gareca was still not convinced to start a long period of coexistence with a pet. As in most important decisions that he has made in Peru, the “Tiger” asked for some time to think.

Nicholas King He recently recalled Gareca’s mention of the television series “Lassie”. After a few days of consulting through social networks and friends, they found a Collie puppy who had been given up for adoption in Trujillo. ‘Flaco’ was making his traditional summer route to establish contact and dialogue with players from the Peruvian team. Rey wrote to him through WhatsApp and told him that he had to make a decision. Gareca, who was in Mexico at the time, was not the only one interested in taking Almendra home. “I keep it”, He responded in a hurry and a few days later he received her in his apartment with a big hug.

For February, the sports area of ​​the Peruvian Football Federation organized a fellowship lunch with the intention of celebrating the birthdays of Nestor Bonillophysical trainer of the national team; Anthony Garcia Pyemanager of selections, and Juan Carlos Oblitas, sports director of the FPF. The same day Almond arrived in Lima so as not to separate more from Gareca. Lover of repetitive habits and cabals, Gareca He has asked to see if there is the possibility of taking Almendra to the trips of the Peruvian team in the next year. If this trend continues from here we send a piece of information that may be useful in the future: the international airline of Qatar accepts pets on its flights.

is friendly collie dog She was baptized by the wife of Nicolás Rey. Gareca liked the name a lot, perhaps because it refers to the classic Argentine rock group founded by Luis Alberto Spinetta. No one imagined the speed with which Gareca has established the emotional bond with Almendra. “In quarantine I have had uncertain days, with anxiety, with sadness. Of not knowing what is going to happen”Gareca replies to his friend Oscar Ruggeri, during the broadcast of the program “90 minutes of soccer”. In the midst of so much stress due to confinement, the only good news that the ‘Tiger’ has received in these almost eighty days is the rapid growth and adaptation of Almendra.

When the possibility of Gareca taking a humanitarian flight arose, one of the first questions when organizing his return to Buenos Aires was to define who Almendra was going to stay with. Although the national technician’s trip has been canceled for the time being, let’s not rule out that the ‘Tiger’ will take another plane in the coming weeks. And if that happens, the bicolor coach has already made contact with a couple of families in Lima so that Almendra can stay in a safe place.

THE COVER OF JUNE 2020 IN SOMOS

This collie breed dog has been a calming and anti-stress for a ‘Tiger’ Gareca who has not had a very good time in these weeks of quarantine. Without being able to go far from home, or go to Videna de San Luis, the professor has given himself to a fairly typical routine in all those who have pets at home during this prolonged quarantine. The government regulation establishes that pets can be taken for a walk, but not far from home and for a few minutes. Gareca has complied with these measures and only crosses the track to go to the nearest park. Wearing a white mask, the ‘Tiger’ walks daily with Almendra.

The collie breed has many qualities, but two of them are already beginning to be exhibited by Almendra. The ‘Tiger’ mascot is very affectionate, but he is also a very fast learner. When we interviewed Gareca last week, Almendra made a spontaneous appearance through the camera. His barking was very loud. Gareca, as if he were Brad Pitt in Quentin Tarantino’s latest film (once upon a time in hollywood), he trilled his fingers and the pet quickly fell into a deep silence.

“I just took her out for a walk more often when the government began to relax its measures. I have followed all orders, but I also miss my family.”, the coach of the Peruvian soccer team replied. You don’t have to be very perspicacious to realize that Ricardo Gareca he is annoyed and grumpy about the extension of these weeks of quarantine and the restrictions that it brings. Yesterday, the “Tiger” informed the Peruvian Football Federation that he was staying in Lima, that for the time being he was no longer going to take a humanitarian flight and go to Buenos Aires. Will Almendra and her opportune sweet talk have convinced him to stay? Gareca’s biblical character beard is an act of protest in this social isolation. For this man, who seems to have been rescued from a shipwreck, Almendra has been the sun to illuminate these days, the color of a Peruvian donkey’s belly. His appearance is a light in the midst of so much darkness to show affection.

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