'Never in my career as a coach have I mistreated anyone': De la Pava speaks of a serious accusation

Much controversy has been generated around the Deportivo Cali after the words of the Venezuelan Colombian Nicola Prophet, who spoke about his departure from the club and some differences with the coach Jaime de la Pava.

The 18-year-old footballer who today plays in the Saints of Brazil, He spoke a few days ago with the channel Smoke Free Zone about the relationship he had with the 56-year-old coach.

Prophet He accused some problems with the experienced coach and others of economic issues with the club, which pushed him to leave Deportivo Cali for Brazil.

Regarding the words of the former Deportivo Cali player, Professor Jaime de la Pava spoke with EL TIEMPO to clarify the issue that was echoed in several media outlets in the country about alleged mistreatment of Profeta or other club players, and made it very clear that In the statement the footballer never says the word abuse.

What do you respond to Profeta's statements and the rumors of alleged abuse?

It is an issue that must be approached with great caution due to the process that I have carried out with our lawyers pending the issue.

I would say that within the interview with Nicola Profeta and that generated all this, He never talks about the word abuse, he talks about some differences that logically exist with it.

What was the problem with the player?

At the beginning of this year (January 3) when we started the season, he did not arrive, he did so two or three days later due to an issue that he was in Venezuela and being a minor he had a problem leaving the country…

All of this can be prevented and logically it can be planned with a good time for it to pass and it could be on the 3rd first thing in the morning and even more so being such a young boy, with that great opportunity in his life, surely anyone in any profession would do it, That was what I told him in front of the teachers, that I always have a dialogue with a player, I have my witness, something that I learned from the doctor Bilardo.

He involves other teammates (Villarreal), I think it is his mistake because there are teammates of his who have expressed their gratitude, one of them is Alejandro Rodríguez, who told me personally in the dressing room when I told them I was leaving and then said it in a public interview recently.

In the end, the most important thing is that this issue be clarified, never in my career as a coach have I mistreated anyone, I think it is a quite complex and delicate word, which has many components to take some actions and in that, professionally, I have been very respectful and more so with the young player as I have worked with young people throughout my career.

How true is it that you punished some young players and not others with more experience?

I didn't have any problems with the young people in general, I think that the young people that I was close to never led me to make some decisions in a disciplinary situation regarding a specific case
and neither did the older ones.

In the end, among the great players, both last year and this year, they have been players who have responded in the best professional way to their obligations and responsibility… In these eight months we never had any problems in that regard.

If any player had any problem, he approached to talk or ask for a situation he needed, but always with the respective dialogue to organize things, but there was never a need to make delicate or important decisions in that sense.

Did you take Profeta's late arrival to the club personally?

Not at all… That has been the way I act with the young people that I have always coached when those types of situations happen and I think that there we are not generating any disrespect nor are we mistreating them, I simply invited him to continue training in the reserve, it was the logical thing to do. , and within those decisions that I have made all my life regarding those types of situations, they have been normal… If you let those types of things happen with one, the other tomorrow will also arrive late and then the other, in that order of ideas I have been a person who always applies that, but with respect

The most important thing is that the player understands that he will also have the opportunity to be with the professional team again because one cannot deny the possibility to a boy with good projection and one cannot deny himself the opportunity to have in the team to a player of projection and with good conditions

Did you have a conflict with any player?

I never had problems with a player… Suddenly there are differences due to some things about a concept or they asked me why I wasn't a starter or left the game, but one always argues and those are normal situations for all teams.

What do you feel you needed to do during your time at Deportivo Cali?

I would have liked many things to be better, for the team not to have the anguish of relegation, it is an anguish that is being experienced and has been dragging on since 2022 due to the score that was achieved…

This year, addressing the issue of what is being seen, we must do 2024 in the best way so that next year the team begins to float a little better in that sense. Hopefully the economic issue will also stabilize, it is an issue that is not easy to handle in the club's environment, but a significant effort is being made to solve that.

We have to project the boys like we did, cases like Córdoba, Cabezas, Rodríguez or Acosta, who are giving an important contribution to the team and who hopefully tomorrow will give sporting and economic returns to the institution

How are you feeling after leaving Deportivo Cali?

I a
m doing what I stopped doing because I spent 24 hours and 7 days with a responsibility like this… I have dedicated time to my children and to rest a little, we also watch soccer and waiting for what may come that is best for everyone.

HAROLD YEPES

X: 20_hart

Editor of EL TIEMPO