“Paolo Guerrero has had a fantastic career, being a reference at 40 years old is not easy” | INTERVIEW

-Real Madrid has the image of being the best club in the world. What are you looking for with this link with the César Vallejo University?

First, I am happy because I see the enthusiasm with which the César Vallejo University has received us. I think this agreement with the Real Madrid Foundation will be good for both parties because we seek to provide those values ​​that I learned during my time as a footballer at Real Madrid and that are innate at the University because they are dedicated to teaching and training in the leadership to all students, teachers and families.

-How long will the agreement be?

We said it was an agreement for three years, but I get the feeling that there are very good feelings between everyone and that will make it much longer lasting.

-In 2014, Florentino Pérez, today president of Real Madrid, came to Peru for the construction of League 2 of the Lima Metro and El Comercio asked him when the white club would do something for Peruvian football. This is the moment?

Of course. The Real Madrid Foundation has been developing socio-sports schools in Peru for 14 years through strategic partners. This agreement with the César Vallejo University is one more step because with training we seek to help many young people, who in the near future will be the ones who lead the country. And if they are well trained by a prestigious university, it will be very good for everyone. The objective is to improve the lives of children and young people. And all these projects are innumerable. Peru has room for improvement in all aspects.

-All this in the extra values ​​that Real Madrid has…

Exact. I have played 18 years as a professional. I have a special bond in all the clubs I played, but Real Madrid left me something more important, a plus, and that is that when you arrive at the club, and you already have the values ​​that the sport itself gives you, Madrid doubles you little upwards. It adds more to you. It gives you the desire to improve, respect for others and also to know how to lose, which is part of life itself. I believe that all these values ​​are what the foundation puts at the service of all these agreements.

-The talent of the footballer stands out from South America. How does this agreement impact young prospects in Peru and the region?

The topic of football is different from that of training. I’ll give you an example: my son would love to be a soccer player, but he didn’t have the natural talent that I had, and not being able to develop on that side, he chose to train in sports science to be able to be a teacher. So the issue of the professional athlete is an innate thing, of natural talent, which is then formed throughout his life; but the training topic is different.

-In that aspect, how do they see Peru in Europe?

The founder of the university, César Acuña, was just talking about how here in Peru people do not see sports as a natural way out of being a job. In Spain we have that as a culture. Everyone has played soccer since they were little, they have sport as a healthy habit of life. That’s why I think there is a lot of room for improvement here and these types of agreements can form leaders in sports. That seems fantastic to me.

-Today, on a football level, César Vallejo is the protagonist of Peruvian football for repatriating Paolo Guerrero, historic scorer for the Peruvian team. Did you see him when he was at Bayern or Hamburg? Did you see potential in him to continue in Europe like Claudio Pizarro?

Do you know what happens? The thing is that decisions in professional football are made as opportunities present themselves. I don’t know if Paolo had the opportunity to go to Spain or other clubs in Europe at the time. What is clear is that he has had a fantastic career. Being in the Bundesliga for the years he has been, being a reference for Peruvian football and continuing in the Peruvian team at 40 years old is not easy.

-Are you surprised that I am still playing at 40 years old, knowing that you decided to retire at 34 after a successful career?

That speaks very well of him on a professional level. When a man reaches 40 years old and is still a professional footballer, he continues competing, it means that he has taken very good care of himself. And that’s where the values ​​we talked about come in. That, along with taking care of yourself, makes you prolong your career as long as possible.

-Could he have arrived at Real Madrid?

What happens is that in Spain we do not have platforms that offer us South American football. We watch a lot of European football, one hundred percent. But we do get the big names and I think Paolo Guerrero is one of the most important forwards in South America.

-Today, Renato Tapia is representing Peru in LaLiga playing for Celta…

Yes. He started with difficulties this year, but he is finishing very well, being a very important player for Celta. And that reaffirms that there is talent in Peru, the only thing left is to exploit it, but do it well, from a very good training.

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