Leonardo Castro: the emotional story of the Colombian striker who was champion with Deportivo Pereira

Deportivo Pereira emerged champion of Colombian soccer for the first time after defeating Independiente Medellín in the final. The ‘Aurirojo’ had Leonardo Castro as its top star, as he became the team’s top scorer and the tournament with 15 scores in 26 games. Although, behind that success, a humble story is hidden.

The attacker went through difficult times in his childhood and had to work to help his family. The player worked as a worker and garbage collector, while at the same time he tried out in different clubs, although without luck. Until in 2014, he signed for Deportivo Pereira after passing a test and stayed until 2015.

After his good seasons, he signed for Independiente de Medellín in 2016, where he won the Apertura Tournament and, on two occasions, the Colombia Cup. In 2022, he returns to the ‘Matecaña Fury’ to win the Finalization Tournament.

Despite the success achieved, Castro maintains humility and that virtue is recognized by Lucy Trujillo, who was the athlete’s co-worker in a cleaning company. In the preview of the final, she remembered when she shared tasks with the player.

“Here he is and we are all proud of him, of the career and of the way he managed to be beyond being a cleaning worker. He did the same as us, sweeping, tipping and collecting operations”he stated during an interview with Telemedellin.

The emotion of Leonardo Castro after being champion

The 30-year-old footballer dedicated the championship to his loved ones. “This means sacrifice. I worked very hard for this. Thank God I am given the opportunity and I only have to thank my family and this great fan that accompanied me at all times, ”he said at a press conference.

In the same way, he referred to the unconditional fans. “This beautiful fan waited 78 years for a star. We, with the strength and grit that we had in each game, were able to give him joy, ”she mentioned.