Néstor Lorenzo and his Colombian National Team will have another litmus test this Friday to find out where the team stands facing their great challenge of 2024, the Copa América that will be played in the United States.
This Friday, Colombia will play against Spain, one of the great candidates to win Euro 2024 and current champion of the Nations League, which they won last year after defeating Croatia on penalty kicks.
In Spain, the resume of Lorenzo, second in command in José Pékerman's steps through Argentina and Colombia and finalist in the 1990 World Cup in Italy as a player, under the command of Carlos Salvador Bilardo, has attracted attention.
Lorenzo gave an interview to the Spanish newspaper El País, which highlighted the influence of both schools: that of winning at all costs, in the case of Bilardo, and that of a “nicer idea of the game”, in the case of Pékerman.
Joseph Pekerman
Photo:
The DT highlighted the work of his team, which has not lost since he took over leadership in September 2022.
“Colombia is in a good moment because there are several established players in European and South American clubs. But we intend for them to be more. “There are players here who jump to Europe because of what they were able to show in the national team.”said Lorenzo.
However, Lorenzo expressed a concern: Colombian soccer players take time to catch up with the Old Continent. “There are Colombian players who spend three or four years adapting to European clubs. And it is because they go abroad without having played in a Copa Libertadores,” he expressed.
“There are Colombian players who spend three or four years adapting to European clubs. And it is because they go abroad without having played in a Copa Libertadores.”
Lorenzo highlighted that other South American markets have an advantage in this regard. “Players from Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay mature very quickly, much faster than Europeans. And they do it, basically, because of the competition they have, an almost fierce competition in the lower divisions that trains them in terms of a winning mentality,” he explained.
The coach believes that the key to this maturation is learning to win. “The cradle of the champion guarantees you a champion projection. Sometimes I hear: 'We lost, but we have to learn from the mistake.' Yes, that's fine with me, but when you lose, you learn what not to do to lose. But that doesn't teach you how to win. You learn to win, when you win. You have to educate to win. And if you want to win you have to be proactive, you have to be a protagonist…” he insisted.
The legacy of Bilardo and Pékerman
The Colombian coach highlighted what he learned from the time in which Bilardo directed him, in that World Cup in Italy. “Bilardo left nothing to chance, he was behind all the details that made the difference and had phrases like 'Work pays.' There is a lot of discussion about his idea of the game, but Bilardo wanted to play well and win. But if he had to prioritize, he thought that winning improves the game,” he recalled.
Carlos Bilardo
Photo:
He also spoke about the legacy that working with Pékerman left him. “With Pékerman we left Argentinos, a school that taught you to play well, with a pivot who manages the times, with a classic 10, with full-backs who go on the attack. “José has the cutest idea of the game,” he insisted.
The match between Spain and Colombia will be played this Friday starting at 2 pm at the Olympic Stadium in London.
SPORTS
More Sports news
#Néstor #Lorenzo #39You #learn #win #win #educate #win39
