The former soccer player referred to the current situation of the ‘celestial’ team and how it went from less to more this season. (Video: GOLPERU)
Sporting Cristal has shown a notable improvement in sports results after the difficult days it experienced due to conflicts between coach Tiago Nunes and a group of players. And it is that since the triumph against The Strongest for Copa Libertadores, the ‘celestes’ won five times and only tied twice, managing to reinsert themselves in the fight to qualify for the round of 16, in addition to climbing to the top of the League 1. In this sense, Amilton Prado, a former player of the Rímac team, spoke about it and praised the Brazilian.
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“At the beginning of the year I went to the club to see the training sessions with this new coach. But not just once, but three or four times. I have been able to appreciate the passion that he (Tiago Nunes) has for work and he is an A1 coach, not only for Cristal but for the local media. They don’t come here from that level and see him work like that… “, were his first words in GOLPERU.
In the same way, he assured that he spoke with a reference who works in the technical command and told him that it would be difficult at first, but that performance would gradually improve.
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“I told Jorge (Soto) ‘it’s going to be difficult, but what he’s proposing is how it’s played now.’ A goalkeeper playing and taking risks, you see Flamengo, Atlético Mineiro, in Brazilian football they all play like that. Unfortunately we do not have their courts. But the way Cristal plays and what he proposes I know that at this stage it will bear fruit. The victories in height are the product of the union. I know that they have met, talked about dirty laundry, put on their overalls and were able to climb positions. I think that now Cristal is going to be the protagonist, ”he commented.
Tiago Nunes has managed to redirect Sporting Cristal locally and internationally. (Reuters)
It was difficult for Tiago Nunes to translate his idea into the ‘rimense’ team. At first, it seemed that he found the form, since he surpassed the two previous phases of the Copa Libertadores. However, several players went through a football slump, with two defeats in the continental tournament and League 1. However, the home win against The Strongest was the start of a seven-game streak without losing.
With a great goal from Jhilmar Lora, the ‘celestial’ won at home for the international tournament. (Video: ESPN).
That was not all, as ‘Cholo’ Prado emphasized that the Sporting Cristal squad needed time to adapt to modern football, especially at home, where they have only been able to win three times. “At home we have not been strong, although also in the transition that exists, to be able to capture in a small field like Gallardo, where people press and get impatient. The team needed time and they already understood, ”he pointed out.
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And it is that the ‘bajopontinos’ gave up many points at home that ended up costing them the loss of the Apertura Tournament (it was left in the hands of Alianza Lima). There were four draws at the Alberto Gallardo stadium that prevented him from reaching the final stages with fighting options.
On the other hand, Amilton Prado spoke about the criticism and what happened at the National Stadium, in full training of Sporting Cristal, where a group of fans tried to attack Yoshimar Yotún. “There are many people who took the internal things that were happening to the extra-soccer side. Yotún is a player who loves the club, he was trained and has always given himself. We concentrated and he lived there in Florida. In a way, we help him integrate it. And facing him like this, for everything he did, he does not deserve to be disrespected, ”he specified.
“I was also surprised that the fans get onto the field to recriminate the players. They are not like that. I know the ‘Far Celestial’, the ‘Old Guard’, those from the East. They are passionate fans and they can be upset but they never act like that. There are people who want that curiosity and try to sell things that are not. Cristal is a model club that has always given the best to the player”, he added.
Yoshimar Yotun was the figure of Sporting Cristal against River Plate for the Copa Libertadores. (Reuters)