On October 26 of last year, Alberto Gamero, between the shouts of a heated discussion with his players, resigned from the technical direction of Millonarios in the middle of the dressing room. That rainy Wednesday night in Bogotá, Millonarios lost to Medellín 1-2 and, after being the absolute and undisputed leader of the last League, completed a chain of seven games without winning and fell to eighth position: on the brink of an elimination that seemed amazing and surprising.
With a little more than an hour late, Gamero then offered a press conference in which his red eyes pooled several times. He came from crying in the locker room, after the threat of resignation in the middle of the serious altercation.
(Also read: Millionaires, champion! The 16th star came with suffering and then with joy)
– Shut up everyone! I am going to speak. I know I haven’t been with you very long, but…
Thus, with those words, one of those who was there that stormy night in the north dressing room of El Campín began a speech of tranquility and unity, a message full of spirituality and calm, of hope and struggle, in which he mentioned psalms, verses and He repeated the name of God. He, that time, managed to unite the waters that were separated.
Just a month and a half ago, that same person filled the team and the relatives of a small Millonarios fan with love, faith, hope, and comfort. He asked to be with the team’s players a few hours after undergoing euthanasia.
They all cried in silence, shocked by this message of life and death. That’s why, Daniel Cataño, the star of Millonarios, the one with the number 10 shirt, was the one who made the team’s prayer to thank for the 16th star, the one they beat Nacional in the very final in the history of the League.
In the privacy of the same north dressing room, Cataño prayed, and all his teammates and bosses gathered in a circle of heads bowed and hearts held high before the doors opened to the TV cameras.
“When he retires, surely Cataño will not be a coach. He is going to be a Christian pastor. He spoke in the three most important emotional moments of this star, ”a source claimed.
Just a year ago, Cataño lived a nightmare. Playing for Tolima he missed a penalty in the final against Nacional. “A year ago, at this very hour, he was crying, receiving thousands of threats. But Millonarios picked me up, supported me,” he told Win Sports while showing the shirt he had had made with the photo of his teammates under a psalm that repeats: “It is you, my God, who lifts my head.”
(Also: Daniel Cataño: the star 16 of Millionaires, his revenge after passing through Tolima)
The party to celebrate the star 16
After the prayer, goalkeeper Álvaro Montero spoke. He thanked everyone for supporting him in the campaign. So did Captain Mackalister Silva, who repeated his harangue that they are friends, family.
The players left El Campín almost at midnight on Saturday, on the roofs of the buses they took the route from Avenida 68 to Calle 90, to the Cafam convention center, sponsor of Millonarios.
At one in the morning the rumba began, with the families of the players, managers and employees; guided to the dance by the magical fingers of Ciro Mesa on the accordion: he is king of vallenato kings.
Máyer Candelo and Luis Delgado, Millos champions in December 2012, were part of the party team that ended before 5 in the morning.
They ate minced meat, pork rinds, chorizo and criolla potatoes, and drank Andina beer (their sponsor). And although there were some glasses of whiskey, almost everyone toasted with glasses of brandy… From Aguardiente Antioqueño, of course.
Meluk tells him…
Gabriel Meluk
Sports Editor
@MelukLeCuenta
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