“I hope that many more Peruvians arrive in Boca. He feels the affection of all the fans ”

—Don Julio, it was recently 50 years since the last time he wore the Boca Juniors shirt (July 30, 1972). Why do the fans, even those who did not see him play, still remember him?

It is for simplicity and humility. I was a person who in my poverty, in my youth, always showed affection and esteem for others, I never believed the figure. In Boca they remember me as the Peruvian, not as Julio Meléndez, but as the Peruvian…

—The Peruvian and his ballet…

Hehehe… “El Peruano y su ballet”, that’s how they put me. But with simplicity and affection.

—Luis Advíncula and Carlos Zambrano played several classics against River. But what is it like to play an Argentine classic? how do you deal with it? Is there nervousness?

Yes, you get nervous because the fans are thinking that you have to prove that you’re in Boca Juniors for a reason. In addition, all the fans are waiting for the game, not just those of Boca or River. Mine was to leave the name of Peru well. That “And you see it, and you see it, it’s the Peruvian and his ballet”, which they sang, I demonstrated with humility and simplicity. At that time, Boca had figures in quantity: Roma, Marzolini, Rattin, Madurga… I fought against many players and came out as the best, being remembered until now.

—How do you see Zambrano, Advíncula, both champions with Boca?

I wish you with all my heart that you succeed and win. I hope that many more Peruvians arrive in Boca. He feels the affection of all the fans.

—It’s easy to be a defender who bursts the balls in the face of danger. It takes more courage to come out playing from your box like you did. And without resorting to violence.

An Argentine journalist once said: “Ninety minutes and the Peruvian has not fouled as a center back.” I loved the ball and I still love it. I went out playing, it was the biggest thing for me. Once I was sent off playing against River. The referee told me: Excuse me, Meléndez, but I have to expel him. Pinino Más and Ermindo Onega, who were my rivals, accompanied me off the pitch. It was the most beautiful, and the funniest…

—In a match against Sporting Cristal, for the Libertadores, they expelled 19 players. The archers were missing and you

Hehehee… they didn’t expel me, and they took the others to the police station. I remember that at 1 in the morning they call me Alberto J. Armando, the president of Boca, with Rattín. “Black, you have to come with me.” And I tell him: “Rata, I’m not going there, I’m not going to jail, I’m going tomorrow”. “Let’s leave pizzas”, he told me. And we went, and there was Orlando de la Torre -may he rest in peace-, Eloy Campos, Mellán, José del Castillo, Alberto Gallardo, all talking. The next day they left. I have only been expelled twice, the other was against Estudiantes. The area had to be respected…

—The area was like home…

It was my house, nephew! She was in and out, I knew which way to go. Sometimes I received visitors through the false door or through the front door… hehehehe… I knew where to receive them. It was my house.

—And how did you measure rivals?

The center back sees the whole picture. If a striker comes from the left, you throw yourself a little there, they come from the right, the same… there are center backs who don’t do that. I applied the law of anticipation. If you had your back to me, I would go behind you without hitting me. He put me at half a meter and tin… here! He anticipated and left. Ermindo Onega’s brother, Daniel, yelled at him “take the black man, get him out, get him out of the area…”. And Negro didn’t go out because it was his house, he already knew which door to attend to him.

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