The captaincy according to Fossati: what should the owner of the tape be like when Paolo is not there?

El Comercio journalist Mario Fernández remembers with computer memory what happened for the appointment of Claudio Pizarro, then scorer for Bayern in Germany. It is a scene from 2004, recreated in 2013. “Paulo Autuori used the Videna gym to receive journalists. They were improvised conference rooms for one-on-one with the then coach of the Peruvian team. The Brazilian was brief, but emphatic and only expanded on specific questions. I remember it because he told me that he would do it when I asked him why he had decided that the then young Claudio Pizarro would be the captain of Peru. He adjusted his cap Gilligan-style, gained a little momentum and Autuori told me: ‘I did it for two reasons. The first is to end the dispute that I had heard – I don’t know – between Palacios and Solano in the previous cycle, and the second is to reward, as I did with Bonnet in Cristal, the sporting success of a player who is Pizarro. I know that he is young, but I also know that he is succeeding in Germany, and the captain is like a representative of what I want for the team.’”

Seventeen years without a break with the film, Pizarro’s national team career ended in 2016, in the match with Venezuela heading to Russia, after the trust of eight coaches. The reasons given by Autuori were respected, even against the popular demand for a change. The transition to Paolo has the World Cup qualification as its milestone, and along with his 39 historic goals with Peru, no one doubted Gareca’s very good choice with Guerrero, in 2016.

In this new process, with Jorge Fossati as head of the national team, the question is absolutely valid. When Paolo is not there and with the argument that the goalkeeper – Gallese – cannot be captain, who will take over?

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Midday in Videna. First days of February. There is still no squad list for the national team’s friendly revival in 2024, but there are clues. Paolo, for example. If you have equipment you will be there. If Carrillo could play in the Peruvian League, it would be great news, warns Fossati. This will be the first interview of the national team coach with El Comercio. And although he doesn’t want to delve into the topic starter, then he does. Didactic, as in his lectures.

-If Paolo is not there, and Gallese cannot be captain due to his position in goal. who could take it on?

Again, and without proper names, I don’t know who will be there. What I am going to clarify for you is that I do not change the captains or leaders of a group. José Carvallo in last year’s U continued to be as much of a leader, or more, even though the draw didn’t go well afterwards.

-I don’t know if he ever explained it in detail, but why can’t a goalkeeper be captain?

Because I know the position and I was also a captain, I know what trouble he gets into. I got Carvallo into trouble at the U. What I’m saying is that the locker room belongs to the players. And the references are the references that the players say. Simply, I insist, for a matter of position, but also realizing that if you are, with all due respect, please do not believe that I am phobic about anything, but so that you can understand me well… if you are “mute”, no You talk, I can’t make you captain because you simply won’t be able to communicate with the referee.

-What other conditions should it have?

If it is recognized, the better. It is not the same that the referee is going to speak to a four of glasses like me, Fossati, or that someone who is recognized is going to speak to him, like Paolo. So it’s not that I give the captaincy to anyone, no, but I always try to convey the same message to everyone: you have a mission as a player and I fulfilled the mission as a player, don’t play me as captain, play me as a player, the thing captain is born alone, you will see the moment when you have to intervene or not, but don’t ruin the team. I’ve seen it many times.

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Personality to talk to the referee, absolute trust of his teammates, international leadership. Against Nicaragua this Friday the captain will be Paolo Guerrero. The mystery of who will be his successor will be revealed then, but at least we already know the profile.

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