Alianza Lima: the story behind the purple and white shirt and its ‘miracles’

With flags in hand, the fans look to the sky, cross themselves and surrender in their minds to the most holy image of the Lord of Miracles, while eleven players dressed in white and purple jump onto the Matute playing field after having done the same ritual. Because just as the Foals, the Black Roller, the majestic passes of César Cueto, the dribbles of Cholo Sotil and the goals of Teófilo Cubillas are Alliance heritage, faith in the Purple Christ too. It has become a special tradition to release the purple jerseys every October. Therefore, before the beginning of the tenth month of the year, Lima Alliance presented his new purple and white t-shirt version 2022which he already took advantage of with “miracles” in the fight for the Clausura.

All this history of faith and devotion began on October 3, 1971 a few blocks from Matute, in the National Stadium. When the clock struck 3 in the afternoon and referee Carlos Rivero started the game, Lima Alliance He wore his purple-white shirt for the first time against Sporting Crystal. Why it happened? Was it something planned long ago? To know the story behind the story you have to go back a week.

On Sunday, September 26, 1971, after defeating Porvenir de Miraflores 1-0 at the Lolo Fernández stadium, José Carrión Meigg, better known as ‘Chino Pepe’, the club’s historic prop man, told manager Alfonso de Meigg bad news. Souza Ferreyra: there were no complete uniforms for the next game. The unusual reason? A heavy rain prevented the clothing from drying properly. told many years later Luis Achong, son of the famous ‘Chino Pepe’.

Ferreyra changed his face with happiness and frowned. With a look of few friends and the voice of a sergeant, she demanded a solution from the blue-and-white prop. José Carrión, who was the charger of the Lord of Miracles’ litter, had no better idea than to use the purple fabrics, which were used to make the habits, for the uniforms.

Armando Leavau, renowned Alliance historian, once narrated.

At that time, Cristal had a great team and beating them was an enormous merit that in the streets of La Victoria was linked to the Lord of Miracles. It was, according to his convictions, more an act of faith than any football reason. For this reason, Don Alfonso did not hesitate to ask ‘Chino Pepe’ to “next week he will still take the sweaters to Trujillo to face Carlos A. Mannucci”. In the City of Eternal Spring, Alliance celebrated again (3-2) and the cabal began to become an Alliance tradition that continues to this day and possibly will continue forever.

The Lord of Miracles in Alliance costume

The inauguration of the Matute stadium was in 1974 and it happened in a big way. The emblematic Nacional of Uruguay was in charge of opening the Matute lawn. In an exciting match, which ended 2-2, Juan José Ávalos and Juan Rivero were the first intimate players to score in the new stadium. It was at the exit of the locker room when an image of the Purple Christ was placed, just before jumping onto the field of play. From there this custom began to be forged.

The Paraguayan Jorge Amado Nunes is not remembered in a very good way by the fans of Lima Alliance. That punch he gave Juan Carlos Kopriva in the famous 1994 classic in Matute was repudiated by all Victorians. However, the idol of Universitario confessed that, in his first classic at the Alejandro Villanueva stadium, a scene caught his attention that, despite his well-known rivalry with his intimates, was to this day provokes his respect. , expressed the ‘Cenizo’. It is clear that even idols of the eternal rival value and respect this Alliance tradition.