Carlos Lobatón and why his work inspired respect: what the goodbye of the last Rime idol means

Not saying goodbye to someone you love hurts. Forever. It is being left without a last opportunity to cry or laugh about what you have experienced, no longer being able to be grateful and fair to those who deserve it. In life and in football. And those who can say goodbye on time are privileged. But there are levels. A farewell game says something else: it reflects the connection that a player achieved. Talk about an idol. To be a bridge between dreams and reality. Of a club and of people with memory.

Carlos Lobatón’s retirement was not only the end of his 21-year career. It was the epilogue of an era at Sporting Cristal under his leadership. And that’s how it felt when they fired the 27th. Four years and a pandemic did not make the tribute to the beer leader and captain, five-time national champion in 15 years —2005, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018— any less emotional.

He arrived in Florida without shortcuts, through the long road of experience. But Cristal was already her place in the world. As a child he fell in love with the team in Cali, during a cup visit from the Bajopontine team. Since then he dreamed of going from the stands to the field and putting his last name on a light blue shirt.

His first attempt was when he had just arrived from Colombia, traveling by bus to Rímac, like every aspiring legend. But it wasn’t his time. He only became champion at the age of 25, already a champion with Cienciano, when he was presented in a combo as a reinforcement. Little by little he began to appear alone in the photos, until he became a precursor of the Rimense old guard.

The fan who judges everything valued every detail: the pose and the pass of that young man who played the old-fashioned way, with a frown and elegance. His dedication and loyalty. He collected his green art and paid him lovingly. The last expo was this Sunday, with other Cristal glories and historical figures of Peruvian soccer. And the public remembered his life’s work.

The painting moves: Julio César Uribe dribbles with the light blue, César Cueto declaims in red and white at 71 years old. Chorri Palacios also shines differently. There is more than one Camel Soto. Gareca and Mosquera are on the benches. Erick Delgado and Óscar Ibáñez guard the goals. Cazulo is diving headfirst into the ball. There are those who worthily saved the loss in 2007 and the champions of 2012. The only Peruvians who won the Sudamericana and the Recopa. Don Alberto Gallardo, ‘Old’ Balerio and Gianfranco Espejo. And of course Carlitos Lobatón, author of the creation.

The Peruvian soccer gallery now has Loba’s latest painting in its contemporary exhibition. A short description is enough to locate those who did not see it: the artist captured on his canvas the era he dominated with refined technique, versatility, courage and vision of the game. His masterpiece commands respect.