“Here we pay salaries of 20 thousand dollars or more for players who in another league would not be more than average” | ANALYSIS

The same face of astonishment that took over the fans of academic When the hiring of Diego Dorregaray from Nea Salamina in Cyprus was announced, the supporters of Apoel, from the same league, must have been 17 years ago when they learned that a Peruvian striker would reinforce them. He was a red-haired guy with a long hair, who looked like a surfer, who was in a hurry when making a decision. His name was Manuel Barreto.

For years, the five or more weeks that separate the end of one season from the beginning of the next has been called smoke season. Sometimes it is light, other times very dense, but it is never lacking. The lack of rigor of certain colleagues and the shameless use of uncorroborated information by some ‘content creators’ fill the atmosphere with falsehoods. In the battle for likes, anything goes.

It is not only this concert of lies and half-truths that triggers frustration and anger. It is also the lack of perspective of the fan who believes, who knows why, that abroad they die for the former Decentralized. That Jorge Mendez Live pending our stars. That Pep, Klopp and Xavi They have a direct line with a select scouting team that reviews in detail the movements of Quispe, Grimaldo or Zanelatto. That the notebook Carletto It is full of red and white flags. That when the transfer books are opened, European clubs rack their brains between choosing an Ecuadorian footballer or one born in these payments.

Girls and boys, let’s step on land. After the World Cup in Russia, our highest peak in the last 40 years, the rout that some naively believed did not occur. And today, with all the failures we have suffered, the outlook is much worse.

Why don’t the best come, then? Because the foreign soccer player, together with his representative, evaluates the quality of the tournament and his chances of jumping to a higher level. Hence the abundance of thirty-year-olds in short socks, some with their conditions more or less intact and others looking to enjoy an early retirement plan.

The movement of passes does not yet allow us to predict a great favorite for 2024. The U starts with a certain advantage because it maintains the bulk of the squad that gave it the star 27. It has two weak flanks: the absences of Fossati and Quispe. Finding a replacement for the Uruguayan is as difficult as believing that Sabogal will apologize for the blackout. Whoever is chosen will constitute a bet without guarantees, who will work under the shadow left by Don Jorge. Something similar happens with Piero. The ‘ten’ are not sold in any shop window and they cost a lot. It is also unknown what style of play the new coach will use in the centenary year.

Alianza has renovated almost the entire locker room in search of a team that comes out to propose from the first minute with a vertical and fast game. Serna and D’Arrigo They are two good goals, although it remains to be seen how they will deal with the weight of carrying the blue and white on their shoulders. And despite his background, the Colombian Restrepo is a mystery. The leadership has given him carte blanche, along with the sports management, to rebuild the squad. Hopefully I don’t get caught up in the metrics.

Cristal assured Yotún, Solís and Ávila, will continue with Ignacio and is looking to reinforce his attack. The CV of Brazilian Enderson Moreira, Tiago Nunes’ replacement, is not impressive. His greatest successes are in the B series of his country. His main signing so far is Santiago González, a 24-year-old Argentine attacker who has never played in the First Division. The search for a 9 to achieve goals has ceased to be an obsession and has become a frustration. It’s a pending account for Raffo.

Eat delicious food and hug those you love the most. Have a happy holiday.