“The champion of America passed through here”: in Peru they do not forget the striped one from La Roja and they review Claudio Bravo with everything

The then American champion still had a major challenge ahead on the second date of the qualifying journey to Russia 2018. In one of the last matches of the Jorge Sampaoli era on the national bench, the Red He was scheduled to travel to Lima to play Peru in the so-called Pacific Classic. This Tuesday, October 13, 2015, Chile, helped by an avoidable expulsion of Christian Cueva, put on a show and won 3-4.

Until then, the duel was proceeding completely normally, always taking into account the eventualities inherent in a rivalry of these characteristics. However, When La Roja had already withdrawn from Nacional de Lima, the Peruvians achieved something that they still remember with anger: in the Chilean locker room there was scratched writing that read: “Respect!!! The champion of America has been here!!!”

Carlos Lobatón was one of the men Ricardo Gareca had started in midfield for the Peruvian team that evening. In an interview, the former midfielder recalled this episode just a few weeks before the Argentine coach was precisely one of the main candidates interviewed by the ANFP to lead La Roja on the road to the 2026 World Cup .

“When I was in Peru, I always tried to focus on them. I had a relationship with an important club in Chile. I am interested in Chile to work at some point (…) We have something planned for the national team. “I already have a working team for the national team” Gareca himself said to the Mauricio and Michael YouTube channel about the opportunity to lead the Everybody team.

In the neighboring country, a possible arrival in La Roja would be considered a real betrayal , for all the above-mentioned antecedents. “If Ricardo takes over the Chilean national team, there will be a lot of discomfort here. As a professional, we understand that it’s work, but the fans, the most passionate, will give him the finger and be furious (…) Some might consider this a betrayal. “Maybe they think he can lead any team except Chile.” journalist Diego Bustamante García told RedGol.

In the aforementioned interview, Lobatón gave details and even gave the name of the Chilean who made the controversial scratch on the walls of the locker room: “When they write, we don’t realize it until later, it’s- i.e. they had already left and everything. But the one who wrote it was the archer Bravo, everyone knew it was Bravo. .

Finally, the now retired player had words on the current situation of the Betis goalkeeper, who was not taken into account during these Qualifiers: “Then the football circulates because in the end Bravo is no longer part of the national team, but most of the others are. They are still playing at Medel, Vidal who is now injured and Sánchez is also there.