Mario Canessa: ‘Celic, Celic!’, The scream that echoed in the stadium | Columnists | sports

Jorge Célico is Argentine, born in Buenos Aires and based in the country since 2009, when he arrived to work at El Nacional. From 2010 until 2017, he served as coach of the Catholic University, until the board of Carlos Villacís, decided to incorporate it to be responsible for technical FEF youth teams. His work in these categories was silent, until the crisis that caused the departure of Gustavo Quinteros broke out, before finalizing the World Cup 2018 Russia qualifiers.

Faced with these urgencies, Ecuaf Fútbol called Célico to take charge, at the end of 2017, of the Major National Team in the last two games that were missing to culminate in the qualifiers. And the night came because in the last commitment in Quito, against Argentina, there was an irresponsible act: the escape of five tricolors who escaped from the House of Selection and went to have fun in a famous boîte before the game.

Unfortunately, Celico made a sensible mistake when he went against a principle that, according to him, had always practiced it and he did so knowing the indiscipline: he aligned the irresponsible, a decision that involved him, perhaps without wanting to, in the reprehensible act .

When we learned of such a mistake of being complacent, we thought that the FEF had no other way but to fire it or that the other event, given the avalanche of criticism, would resign from Célico himself. In the end, neither of them happened. The Federation preferred to turn a blind eye, wait for the storm to pass and recommended the DT to remain silent, away and that in a kind of consensus withdrawal continue working on what he had been doing before the incident in the National Team.

Once in the editorial I called 'The U-20, echoes of a historical deed', published on February 16, 2019, I stated: “It ends up being anecdotal that the abstention from punishing Celico, has ended up being beneficial for the coach, that claimed a stormy chapter, thanks to the lesson and its recognized capacity for planning, which was never under discussion. ”

After the new failure of the Tricolor in the recent Copa América, this time in the hands of the Colombian Hernán Dario Gómez, the new director of the FEF went to look again for Jorge Célico to take charge of the Major Selection and using a dialectical prevention, They informed him that there should be no illusions, that the selection team will be European and world class. And that after the inter-leadership return to their barracks, just the new technical team of the national team, step on national territory.

The public who arrived at Alejandro Serrano Aguilar de Cuenca, and who enjoyed Bolivia's 3-0 blunt victory last Tuesday, was able to appreciate the new version of Célico and at the end of the game he began chanting “Celic, Celic!”. That shout that rumbled in the Cuenca stadium, while the DT was tearing. Very sentimental, she hugged everyone who crossed her path. He looked at the sky and maybe he remembered those pitiful phrases that Gustavo Quinteros gave him, trying to ignore him: "I am not going to make someone famous who is not at my level or someone who has won nothing."

Celic, somewhat more serene, appeared at the press conference. He looked calmer, although overdrawn in the pulsations. He mentioned a great truth that all Ecuadorians wanted to hear: “What you have to be clear about is that there are no essentials. Those who do the crazy things and think they are, are not essential (in the National Team) because there are others who have been pushing ”.

He was of course referring to all those players who faked injuries or who had little desire to commit to the Tricolor. And I would also say against the libertines, those who demanded that the prizes be in cash, those that closed cabarets or armed drunkenness by taking over the floor of a hotel. For them, Célico's message comes at the right time.

What did Celico do to fill us with hope again? In the first place he gave a powerful speech when he spoke of those who have the right to wear the National Team's shirt. Then he added young people who had been ruled out by the blindness of the previous coaching staff (the Roll) and he told those young people that dreams do not come true magically, that sweat, determination and hard work are required.

The current leadership of the FEF is in an emotional dilemma because it knows that the people in the corner talk talk about "Celic is the man!". That why risk, that it is better old acquaintance than new to know and that the polls are mostly in favor of Célico. The speech of the Argentine strategist has been abundant. He spoke of zero tolerance for indiscipline, of the cimbronazos with which they believe they are essential and that he may be "fat, bare", but he does not have "a stupid hair".

I think Celico has initiated the necessary generational change. It has imposed discipline, demanded that the attitude of the players of the National Team can be shown and has managed to excite the fan. But something is true: we don't know for sure if Ecuador's new technical staff will validate what Celico did; Therefore, at the moment the consolidation of the process is uncertain.

The presentations of Ecuador, both in New Jersey winning Peru and in Cuenca winning Bolivia, made it very clear that Ecuadorians are tired of the misconduct, of the irresponsible of the past, of those celebrities who even believe they are divine, who confused the values And they played with our feelings.

While discussing the new DT of the National Team, the FEF has not stood still and has made us think if a new horizon in our football is feasible when presenting the project ‘La Tri 2030’.

In which they state that the game philosophy must have a model based on the exemplary principles of football for society. And to fulfill it, he wants to share with the national government and other actors in society, a strategic alliance to make such a project a reality by creating soccer schools across the country, 1,000 courts for fair play and investment in high competition.

The proposal, as designed, is very good because it coincides with the principle that I have been promoting: that there is nothing better than sport as addiction prevention.

Meanwhile, they will have to resolve, in a few days, who the new DT is, but they will not be able to forget the popular call or that shout that rumbled in the stadium. The leaders remain firm thinking that the long-term project must be led by a European. Hopefully they succeed in the decision, meanwhile the common fan, the one who fills the stadiums, continues chanting Celic, Celic, Celic!

Célico sent a message to the libertines, to those who demanded cash prizes, to those who closed cabarets or armed drunkenness by taking over the floor of a hotel. "

(OR)