Carlos Zambrano: retirement on his horizon after a career without playing in Peruvian football

In the comfort of your home in Buenos Aires, Carlos Zambrano find the tranquility to confess something unthinkable for many. At 32 years old, she is already talking about a possible retirement. The Peruvian defender, currently in Boca Juniors, has had an interesting journey in football, but hanging up his boots seemed far from his career.

Carlos Zambrano’s file for the Peruvian fan is not the best. Perhaps the first thought that comes to mind is his ‘traitor’ temperament, which kept him out of some games. From Argentine football, the news that arrives is good and bad. He is not a starter at Boca Juniors and some mistakes have cost him criticism.

At the age of 15, he left Peru and his career has been abroad ever since. He went from Cantolao to Schakle in Germany in 2006 at a time when Claudio Pizarro, Paolo Guerrero, Jefferson Farfán and Juan Vargas shone in Europe. Zambrano was the fifth national pillar in the Old Continent.

Now that we are talking about the Under 17 World Cup in Peru, it is worth remembering that Zambrano was a World Cup player in 2005 with that category in the event that took place in our country. Along with Christian Ramos, the remembered Gianfranco Espejo, Daniel Chávez, Carlos Elías, Josepmir Ballón, among others, were part of that squad, which did not have a good presentation.

The debut of the ‘Kaiser’ in the Bicolor was in the friendly against Costa Rica in 2008 in Iquitos as a substitute for Santiago Acasiete, who was left out of the Bicolor that year due to the so-called ‘Caso Golf los Inkas’. That March 26, Zambrano debuted with a goal, with a header that meant the second goal of the final 3-1 draw led by Chemo del Solar.

Zambrano has the particularity -like Renato Tapia- that he never played the Peruvian professional tournament. He trained at the Cantolao Academy when the Chalaco team did not have a First Division team. At just 15 years old he traveled to Germany to join Schalke, where he finished his training.

The ‘Lion’, as he is also called, began his career with Schalke, but in 2008 he was transferred to St Pauli, a club with a peculiar history. He is the cadre that defends the proletarians and his nickname is ‘Pirates’. The brown color of his shirt signifies the color of the work clothes worn by the dockworkers, dockworkers and sailors who gave birth to the club.

St. Paulo calls itself a ‘gay friendly’ club – between 2002-2010 it had a gay president: Corny Littmann – and inside the stadium there is a mural with the image of two men kissing: “The only thing that matters is the love”; reads like motto.

He has declared himself a fan of Alianza Lima, but it is not known if he plans to return to Peruvian football to wear the Blue and Whites. A year ago there were rumors of his possible arrival, but in La Victoria they assured that there was never any contact. Now, with the defender already looking at his departure from the fields, will that possibility be given?

defensive pillar

Today he is a pillar in the defense of the Peruvian national team, exchanging starters with Christian Ramos in the central defense. At 32 years old, he is one of the most experienced among those called up by Bicolor.

Only Ballón and Calcaterra are older than him on the list of the last call. Needless to say, Paolo Guerrero and Jefferson Farfán are the most experienced, but they have been absent for much of the Qualifiers.

“One step away from retirement,” he tells Olenka Zimmerman for the Willax Impact Chronicles program from his home in Buenos Aires, and the answer draws attention. As a defender, at 32 years old, it seems that he can still play, however, his feeling seems different.

“I tell my partner, “I don’t want to get up, I want to finish this. I am almost 33, more than half of my life outside the country. I want to enjoy everything I have achieved.” My family tells me that “a couple more years, you have to show more, you have to reach the World Cup.” I am one step away, thank God, I hope it can be achieved, ”Zambrano is heard in the aforementioned interview.

It is worth remembering that among the last players to have left football is Alberto Rodríguez, who until last year played in the national tournament at the age of 37. Among the defenders who defended the national jersey, few have left the competition at the age of 33, which Zambrano will turn next July.