When Juan Cruz Real came to Barranquilla to take over the JuniorOne of the first things he did was go to see the Window of Champions monument, where the entire history of the club rests.
Then Juan Cruz, who already suspected it, confirmed that he was joining a team with a lot of history, a lot of tradition. He felt infected with that past, with those figures, to start building himself, with his own style, and with a luxury payroll, his Junior model 2022.
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Juan Cruz Real, Argentine, 45 years old, champion in Colombia with America (2020 II), avoids looking out or back. He is not interested in having his team called the Colombian PSG (phrase said Alexis García, DT of La Equidad). But he is not mistaken, he knows where he stands, he knows about the team he has, the figures, the investment, so in his speech there is only one idea that echoes from the Coast to the whole country, as a warning: “Junior has to go for everything “.
The big challenge
Get to the team of the moment, the one that shook the market. Is there a lot of pressure?
We are not the team of the moment. This is a club that is always trying to put together interesting projects, a club that has a history. It is undoubtedly one of the most important in the country, and from there obviously important projects are put together. A very interesting group has been put together, but we have our feet on the ground, we all know that we have to make a team, with the tools we have, very competitive, and everything that is said from outside and is commented we take it with ease, only focused on training, preparing with humility, knowing that the Colombian tournament is difficult, and beyond the fact that we are going to have obligations, we are going to always have to be at full capacity. The important thing is to form a ‘team, and I put that word like this, in quotes, a’ team ‘that is competitive.
Succeeding in Junior is a great challenge. It must be a challenge for you …
It is a very beautiful, motivating and stimulating challenge. In this challenge one has to be fully concentrated, not only from the mental, but also from the emotional and spiritual, to give the best of oneself and to achieve the objectives of the club: to make it continue to march in its history.
🎥Great day of work at the Sports Venue! Today’s double day had the novelty of Miguel Ángel Borja and Homer Martínez, who started the preseason with the team. #ComeJunior🔴⚪️🔵 pic.twitter.com/uWIwmTYUDz
– Club Junior FC (@JuniorClubSA) January 7, 2022
In America he experienced critical moments, and was champion. How does the environment feel in Barranquilla?
We have noticed signs of affection. We arrived in another context to that of America, because there we arrived with two previous experiences in developing teams, with less structure and history (Alianza and Jaguares), so it was normal that there were certain doubts and unknowns in the fans that we could be in command of such an important institution, which came from being a champion. We had a successful time in America, with a title and several other things; The reality now is different, but we are clear that this type of club has a lot of demand, and we are focused, even though the environment is favorable, on what we want to do, and we know that we are going to have the demand …
This type of club like Junior, with all the fans they have, has to go for everything
What is that requirement?
These types of clubs like Junior, with all the fans they have, have to go for everything. Later it will be seen on the road, but we have the illusion of achieving the title this year; We know that it will not be easy because, regardless of what they say from the outside, we have to be a competitive team. We are going to compete with other well-armed teams, which have been protagonists in recent years, so we have to be very humble and believe in ourselves, in what we can do, but we know that it is going to be a tough road and that we are going to have to do a lot to achieve the goal.
But they cannot ignore the investment of the club, the players who brought …
Yes, totally. We are aware of the club’s investment and we are honored to be chosen for this process. We know of the responsibility that we have. We come from another important club where there was also a lot of demand. We are not going to ignore that, and the last thing would be to make some kind of excuses. What I am saying, yes, is that there are other teams that have been protagonists, such as Tolima, which has reached the finals and continues to strengthen well, and others that I see well. So it is going to be a very tough championship, and from day one we are going to have the illusion of achieving the maximum goal.
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Handle the figures
When there are so many figures, how do you plan to manage payroll?
The strategy is simple: internal competition is very good because that makes the level of competition high, that pushes the performance threshold up, and that everyone has to be prepared. In this semester there will be many games in a row, playing many weeks Wednesday-Sunday, and that gives everyone opportunities to play, and we must be ready for each game, because we know that we play important things: we are going to play stay in the history of an institution as great as Junior.
You say that Fernando Uribe and Miguel Borja, your great reinforcements, can play together … Does it hold?
First, we are very happy to have two players of that level in the squad, what I maintain is that they are players who can play together, but that does not mean that they should play together; it all depends on what we are going to see. In the end, the most important thing about all the names that there may be, and about me, is the team, and we will always look for the best for the team, but that they can play together, yes, for me, yes, but then we have to analyze things Because the team has obligations from the collective, and the footballers from the individual, and if within that ‘playing together’ we can achieve collective functioning, which is good for attacking and defending, there should be no problem.
Now that you touch on that topic, tell us, what is your Junior going to play?
We are not going to change the central idea, what we have shown in America, in Alianza and Jaguares. We always had the same idea, we like to have a leading role, to attack, for our teams to play in rival fields, to create goal situations, and we are not going to change. Then, in this idea, a team must know how to attack and defend, and must do well to be a team that scores goals and scores few goals.
What will your tactical model be?
I’m talking about a game idea. What I said, I want a team that attacks a lot, that tries to recover in the rival field, that takes minutes of possession from the rival, and from that idea, we will see with the names, the set up, which is the one that can best be us accommodate.
The DT of La Equidad, Alexis García, said that Junior was the Colombian PSG … How did that statement fall on him?
Generally, most of the coaches that Junior has had to direct have always had very good payrolls, because, I repeat, it is a club with resources and bets on important projects. All the technicians have had good payrolls here, perhaps some a little more than others. Then, what the others say … I speak of my team, not of others, and one has too many things to solve to look at others. I focus on my team, on what we must do to build a very competitive team and a strong human group, which is fundamental in any successful process that you want to achieve.
The South American Cup
The South American Cup is the other great objective, surely, if they say they are going for everything …
We know that we have to compete on all fronts.
You are a believing, spiritual technician. He made promises in America and he kept them. Have you already done one in Barranquilla?
Ha ha ha –Finally Juan Cruz breaks seriousness and laughs–. Yes, believer. We will have some promises. The thing about America came to light a lot, because I always try to do those things in silence; It is not a show, it is something intimate. What interests me is my relationship with God.
The fans are excited. What do you say to the fans?
That we have to unite in the same direction: the people, the players, the coaching staff, the board, to go in search of everything that the people want, and that by mid-year we can achieve the goal that the club has. Uniting all of us is going to be important.
And that it can work well, because sometimes in Junior the processes are truncated …
Well, the requirement will be, we know. As I said, we expect support to achieve the objectives.
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Pablo Romero
Editor of EL TIEMPO
@PabloRomeroET
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