“Could we continue without Ricardo Gareca? Yes, but not without his message and his teachings”

It is not the one that is announced in the Bible, but we have faith in it.

If there is something that characterizes us Peruvians, it is precisely that: Faith.

Why? God only knows.

Our history is full of saints and blessed but none of them has shown as much evidence as the Argentine. Qualifying for a World Cup after 36 years as well as a final and a third and fourth place in the Copa América are the greatest proof of his ability to work miracles. He should teach courses.

It is clear that our coach/prophet did not act alone, for that he used his disciples; there are more than twelve and among them there is no one who has betrayed or denied him.

Since 2015 our Messiah made us believe that you can touch the sky, no matter how far away it seems.

I don’t know if in the history of Peruvian soccer there has been someone as important as “El Flaco”.

No religion gained as many adherents as quickly as Gareca; his word and the way he preached it convinced us.

Someone who came from another land reminded us that love is the most powerful force, the one that can do anything, the one that achieves the unimaginable, the one that ignores history.

Just as Jesus of Nazareth had detractors, so does Ricardo. And they are necessary, to remind him that he is not perfect, that he is human, that he is also wrong.

Each one of his disciples professes and lives his message, although with different interpretations, as many as those of the biblical text.

Cuevita translates it into joy, Piero (Gallese) security, Carlos (Zambrano) in character, Alexander (Callens) in stoicism, Aldo (Corzo) in perseverance, Edison (Flores) in resilience, Gianluca (Lapadula) in dedication, André (Carrillo ) in improvement, Renato (Tapia) in strength, Yoshi (Yotún) in conviction, Lucho (Advíncula) in fun, Miguel (Trauco) in clarity, Pedro (Aquino) in patience, Sergio (Peña) in tolerance, Christian (Ramos) in solidarity, Paolo and Jeffry in motivation, but they all also share an element: love, that which is unconditional, that lives in all of us.

How to forget the good Juan Carlos Oblitas, symbol of wisdom, the one that lives in the heart, the one that only someone like him knows how to listen to.

Could we go on without him? Yes, but not without his message and his teachings; that one came to stay, to endure and change our way of seeing life, to understand that faith is everything but at the same time just that: believe.

It is true that his presence gives us peace, however, we must accept that at some point we will no longer see him walking with Almendra, his pet, through the streets of Miraflores. That is why we must spread his message, his philosophy, only in this way can we continue on the path of salvation, the one that took us to Russia and that, for very little, we could not take to Qatar.

Stay, Ricardo, your people need you.