“The national team is an island, it is not a consequence: what Gareca did was like Cienciano’s feat of that time” | INTERVIEW

But that’s been a long time since. and nOr is it the only thing that has happened to him. DT journalist Miguel Villegas spoke with him in 2020 and explained it like this: “In these years he made his debut as the father of Claudia and Gabriel, he left football after being a footballer/coach/leader/psychologist and created a WhatsApp chat with the Cienciano stars, which he later deactivated himself; He became a scout for the FPF in the north of the country, he got rid of all his t-shirts with history and also, the day after the night of February 1, 2013, he became the enthusiastic patient of a local clinic where he goes on Mondays. to Friday to regain movement in his legs. That day he had an accident with his car in Piura. Just remember that it was flying. He could have become quadriplegic. The doctors had no faith. He does”.

Perhaps that is why, because of that faith, his republished book about the champion Cienciano is called “Yes it could!”, which tells the stories behind the historic campaign of the ‘Dad’ in that Conmebol tournament in 2003. He has It has been a hard week: eight years have also passed since the death of Freddy Ternero (+), Peruvian coach, the father of that creature that has never been repeated.

-Why 20 years later has no Peruvian team managed to win a Copa Sudamericana or Copa Libertadores? Was something done wrong?

Because everything starts from a root problem, right? It is the lack of vision, lack of projection, preparation and in reality we have never planted. So, if we don’t sow as you intend to reap. Basically, I am referring to the training of players, as long as we do not work at the base, in reality, the victories we can achieve at the club level will be sporadic.

-I imagine that even though 20 years have passed since that South American event, what do you remember most about that feat with Cienciano?

A lot. Because it had a deep impact throughout the country, it is something that has remained there in history, but that has not served us much, because it did not generate in us the desire to continue winning titles or playing finals, because for that we had to restructure Peruvian football, but We see that it has continued in the same way as after the World Cup qualification, where it should have been used to restructure professional football, however it was not done.

-Did we miss an opportunity then?

I think it was a good opportunity to understand that, if we are capable, we have a lot of talent, but definitely, without any serious work scheduled in the long term or medium term because nothing is going to be achieved.

-Beating teams like Santos, River Plate, for a Peruvian provincial team was a utopian case or was due to the effort on the field.

There were many factors, Santos was not only Alex, he was a great team, Robinho, Diego, Elano, among others. In reality, several factors came together, from the luck of the champion, sometimes one says that the luck of the champion is only for the greats, but it was our turn. There was also an important mix of footballers with experience and past in the national team and others abroad, with young people who had just left and wanted to achieve goals in our careers. In addition to that, it was the important and vital leadership of Freddy Ternero and the support not only of the leadership, but also of Juvenal Silva and the fans.

-What was the key to tying River Plate on their court?

In reality, until that moment, we were already very safe, confident and strengthened. So, the team for those instances was already mentally strong, the result did not discourage us, we simply continued trusting in what we did throughout the cup – which was to focus each one on their work, but always thinking about the team, prioritizing the collective before individualities. That allowed us to turn the result around.

You played in Mexico and Cyprus, was there any possibility of going to another league?

Yes, throughout my career I had many opportunities, but somehow, that’s where the provincial came in, right? That person who is comfortable in Cusco and is happy, for me, the professional topic came to me without looking for it because until I was 16 years old I was studying in Piura and even for university. Suddenly Alianza Lima arrived and took me, a year later being a professional was like everything very fast. Maybe that didn’t give me the ambition that means focusing on the football profession as such and always prioritizing pleasure or feeling comfortable over the ambition to emigrate.

-Did you study any university degree?

No, I just finished school, I was preparing myself, but after I was at Alianza Lima I entered the Ricardo Palma University and I was studying Hospitality and Tourism, that was in parallel with the training.

-And until what cycle did you study?

I stayed until the second cycle, because they had already promoted me, I had to go to Belgium, then I returned and went to Chiclayo and my professional career began.

-Could you detail that experience in Belgium?

That was when I was 17, I think I completed them there, some representatives came, they saw me training, I had had problems with the first team coach, they sent me to train with the reserve and so a few days later they saw me training, and they They said they wanted to take Anderlecht to a test in Belgium, so I saw the opportunity, I accepted it and although there were problems with the visa, since it took a while, since the idea was to stay for a whole month, I finally arrived late, 15 days, Everyone was going on vacation and I had to return, however, that time helped me open my eyes and see that there was a whole world crossing borders, generating motivation and generating a desire to develop myself.

-Alianza Lima strengthened itself well for the season by hiring players with experience like Zambrano, Cueva and Costa, but did they not reach the international level and were they eliminated in the Copa Libertadores in the First Phase?

Maybe I’m going to say something that is not politically correct, but I think that the U and Alianza have too much pressure. The same favoritism that is given to them here in Peru both by the press, as well as the favoritism at the arbitration level, the leadership pressure or feeling local in each city they visit, I believe that the same works against them when they leave the country, because all that is taken away from them, and the player is under the pressure of not being beaten before going out and playing the games as equals, so it is understood that as much as Cienciano, Melgar, Vallejo at some point, we have I was able to compete in those international tournaments in a better way, without so much pressure but at the same time with better results.

-Why didn’t Cienciano win titles again after the Sudamericana and Recopa Sudamericana?

What also happens and it is not that it takes away our merit, the stars aligned with us, since everything was given and we were also underestimated, that in part in some way favored us when we were already very strengthened, but the structural work, Cienciano did not He had it, which is why it resulted in the team being relegated, so as long as they don’t work from the base it will be very difficult for anyone to have results.

YES IT WAS POSSIBLE, THE BOOK

-Tell us about your present?

I am focused on my project for training soccer players, trying to generate comprehensive training not only seen from the sporting point of view, but also adding the nutritional, psychological and social part, to in some way minimize the risk of these boys deviating along the way, and don’t take advantage of all that talent.

-Have you republished your book “Yes it could”?

Yes, it is a special edition in any case of what was the original of “Yes it could”, which came out in 2015, adding some anecdotes that were left in my memory. The sale will be through social networks, but I will have a point in Cusco in Plaza San Francisco. In Piura I can also deliver it personally. In Lima I haven’t defined it yet. In Chiclayo I am talking to Carlos Lugo (former soccer player) because he is interested in selling. The pre-sale price will be 25 soles and when it comes out it will be 30 soles.

– The purpose of publishing the new edition of the book is to build a soccer field. Why that dream?

Well, I have always believed that the most important thing is training. We are already finishing the field, we put in machinery, we even have the goals, but we are missing a little money. What we would be looking for is to finish the field and if we have money left over, invest it in other things. For example, storage space and changing rooms, where they can change and have shade because although we are close to the urban area, it is still a desert. Let’s continue dreaming about this project.

-I understand, why have you already published three books?

That’s right, I published three books, after “Si se puede”, it was “Los churres de Flamengo” and “Navegante”.

-So, let’s say that literature has been a profession for you, after your retirement from football…

Yes, I would say that it is a little more than a hobby, because at some point I did dedicate myself and focus more, and somehow I was able to write the books.

-Without going into too many details, you had an accident, how difficult was it to get up from that event?

The truth is that yes, it was a very hard moment, a break in my life, but it caught me at a moment of maturity, mentally strong and I had the support of my family and many people. So, that helped me to first assimilate and then overcome it mentally. Now, I have rehabilitation, which I have incorporated into my daily life and it makes it very bearable.

-Is there already an important progression with the therapies?

The truth is, yes, although many people out there, whenever I say that, say well and like they don’t accept the situation, but it’s not about that, it’s just that the body is generating contractions and improving. I am a little more independent and in some ways it continues to stimulate me to continue with therapy.

THE SELECTION

-How do you evaluate Juan Reynoso’s work?

I believe that after Gareca, Juan was the ideal person to take the reins of the national team. Not only because of his professional capacity, but because he knows the reality and because within what I expect, he does not work with the national team, but with all the national teams, and can generate a change in the structure at the grassroots level for both the selections as in professional clubs, mainly to force them to invest in minors.

-What do you think of Paolo Guerrero and that at 39 years old he competes at a good level?

Paolo Guerrero is a born competitor and it is not something that is being given to him, I know he has won it and is playing abroad, in a high-level team and he still needs to gain more rhythm. I believe that age, although his performance in recent years has not been as expected because injuries have not helped him, I think that he has an important background of ability and experience to be able to contribute to the national team.

-With the squad that Reynoso has, is Peru obliged to go to the World Cup?

As I tell you, the national team is an island, it is not a consequence, practically what Gareca did was also like a Cienciano of that time, since it was something isolated that suddenly achieved success, but basically creditable to his leadership and players. I think that now Reynoso has a great challenge and he will still have the pressure, but I trust that he can do a great job that will allow us to achieve that goal. I wouldn’t see it as a failure not to qualify, but we all know that he is obliged to get results.