Many people don’t remember that they witnessed Cueva’s growth from its beginnings in San Martín… What was he like at that time?
Christian was a boy who at that time came from the interior of the country and always tried to improve. He was a player who always listened, but he was undoubtedly feeling a little lonely because he had drifted away from his family. Over time he got better and got as far as he got.
Were you a wayward player at that time?
It wasn’t hard to control back then. He was the youngest on that team, and for that reason he always felt like the darling of the team.. And he felt very protected, especially by the older players, I remember Leao Butrón, Fernando del Solar, Pedro García, among others. There he was not a wayward boy, he listened a lot and was interested in learning. At that time, it was not evident that he could have the little problems that he had later.
Have you had communication with Christian lately?
In this last stage, especially since he returned to play in Lima, I have not been close to him. But he knows that he can always count on me. Because we had a very nice relationship in San Martín.
What is your opinion of its current situation? This recent lack of indiscipline in Alianza Lima…
Everything bad that can happen to him hits me. But it’s been a long time since Christian found a place, something that satisfies him. You have to understand that you are to blame for the bad things you do, you always blame the environment, and the one who does and decides is always yourself. I do not believe that the environment is harmful, one looks for the environment that one wants. In that sense, it seems to me that Christian is always in the eye of the storm, since he was in Mexico, Brazil, Russia, and that speaks a little about how his personality ended up being formed.
Do you think that being in Lima hurts you?
I believe that he already came with the problem from Saudi Arabia, and he could not solve it in Alianza. It’s a shame because he is a player who still has a lot to give at 31 years of age. He has to take advantage of his talent and dedicate himself completely to soccer.which was always his life.
He mentioned something important that Christian was the “darling” of San Martin. Does he always need to feel supported, important, as happened with Ricardo Gareca in the national team?
I think so. Sometimes people need that, maybe when we were kids we didn’t have that person who sheltered us. And perhaps that takes its toll on him so far. He was out of the country for a long time, perhaps he did not feel protected, he felt that he is not useful and all these things add up to making mistakes.
If it were Juan Reynoso, would Cueva be on your list to play with Paraguay in September for Qualifiers?
In my opinion, in Alianza Lima they did not get it right with him, especially with the issue that he had to arrive, play, get in shape. We are talking about Cave. I think she didn’t have the minutes that she should have. Starting from that he came to a team where he perhaps did not have space. I would have changed that. Give him the responsibility and that he can play the full 90 minutes and be the leader of the team.
What advice would you give Christian?
I would tell him to enjoy what he does, to commit to himself, that’s important. That he has the challenge of doing the best he knows how, playing soccer, he is very talented, he can make Alianza enjoy himself with his teammates. As I always say, Christian needs to be happy on a playing field. I don’t see him now with that face, the one who wants to take the world by storm, wanting to play, that catches my attention. Hopefully that will change.
Can he be useful again in the selection?
Yes, Reynoso is a coach who will protect him, he will teach him a lot of things that will help him get back on track and become the Christian Cueva that we all miss.
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