What did you find in Alianza that you didn’t find in the other clubs you’ve been to?
I have more than 15 years of soccer career and I have been touched by all kinds of groups, good, bad, disunited or united. But what matters today is my present in Alianza. I found a good group, very united. There was much speculation about the disunity of the group, there is always speculation and that doesn’t matter to me. But when I arrived at the club they treated me like one of them. They felt like home, I am a big fan of Alianza. I wanted to come here and fulfill a dream. I always felt the support of the leaders, their interest in me. That motivated me a lot, since we had been talking for a long time until it could be finalized. Today my present is Alianza, I feel very happy to be here and that things are going well for the whole group.
Was that adaptation easy for being a blue and white fan?
Nothing is ever easy, it always costs a little. But it seems easy when you feel like one of them. The group has been doing well, the results have been consistent. Everything is joy, happiness, we hope that it continues to be maintained. Soccer always has good and bad moments, in which you have to know how to cope, get up when you have a bad time. And that’s what the group is for, to be united through thick and thin. But apart from everything, as I told you, the results have been good and it makes my stay here at the club easier.
Do you think you are at a good level? What Zambrano are we seeing in Alianza?
I am comfortable, because the results are occurring. The team is putting it in, we simply have to be more effective to be more comfortable behind. But honestly, I think I can give much more. I have been dragging a groin injury. People have no idea what it is, that takes a lot away from me and not being able to give 100%; but i try to kill for this shirt. I have always been characterized by giving myself to the maximum. I know that this injury that I have is chronic, it is very uncomfortable, it appears every two or three days, the pain is strong; but I’m focused on doing things right here. I always wanted to come to Alianza, repay the effort they made for me, the love that the fans have for me is mutual. Coming to Alianza is the best thing that happened to me in my career and sometimes I forget about that pain. My teammates are training and I have to lower the intensity so that area doesn’t get inflamed. I play a game and for the next two or three days I can’t even get out of bed. It is uncomfortable.
Do you feel that the Alianza match schedules in League 1 are also uncomfortable?
Yes, but it is what we have to do, there is no turning back. Complaining is in vain, because you will still play. Like it or not, all this is already programmed, we are professionals and we have a great staff. ‘Chicho’ already said it, anyone can play. Whether it’s me or any other teammate, we’re going to do well. This is how the group has been working, the important thing is that we trust our teammates and that anyone can be a starter.
Hernán Barcos said that Alianza has things difficult, do you feel that they are against everyone in this championship?
Strange things always happen in football, it’s not from now or before; but making excuses is irrelevant. There are bad moments, good or bad arbitrations, but it is already very rocky that they make a lot of mistakes against Alianza. On top of that, Alianza is a big team, the biggest in Peru, and those arbitration errors are much more notorious. You can’t say anything to the referees, because they go against the player. Let’s be clear, the referee is wrong and nothing happens. The player makes a mistake and goes to the showers or the game is over. They have to correct that for the good of Peruvian soccer, not for the good of Alianza. There has to be respect for the players.
There were complaints about the poor condition of the courts in the provinces…
My first outing in the local tournament was to Sullana and, honestly, the court was a shame. I was there and I can comment out loud so that people know how things are. It is not because I believe anything or that because I come from Europe I see different stadiums. But there is respect for the players. There have to be good fields, good dressing rooms. There wasn’t even water. And now the same thing happened in Tarapoto, we had to grab our things and shower in the hotel. That people don’t know. Anyone would be upset by that. You go to work and you find those negative things. When the team is going to play abroad, in the end, it hurts us, because you don’t have good pitches, you don’t have good pitches or comfortable dressing rooms. You go there and you find another reality. Let’s hope it changes and not only blame the Federation, but also the IPD. We must all go hand in hand to advance for the good of football, which is the only tool that brings joy to the people.
What makes ‘Chicho’ Salas do well and stand out both here and abroad?
With ‘Chicho’ I can highlight the trust he has with the player. He tells you things clearly, whether good or bad. If they are bad, he tells you very clearly. The same thing happened with Ricardo (Gareca). You told yourself things clearly and everything began to change. That’s why I say that the union of the group is the most important thing and he bears it. Sometimes there are differences between a player or two players who are not happy and it is normal, it can happen to everyone. But the important thing is to say things to his face, I think he solves it by speaking face to face. We have 30 players and anyone can be on the field. It’s hard to keep 30 happy. But the results have been with us, everyone has done things well. On the field we are a family, the main purpose is to win, to keep the club up. The names of the players do not add up to more than one institution. We work for Alianza Lima and we want to put it where it always has to be.
What other similarities do you find between Ricardo and ‘Chicho’?
That’s the main thing, they try to keep the group together, talk to the player, through thick and thin. The mind issue. In the national team it is another level, other players, knowing that you are facing the best of each country. It’s always nice to have a local Peruvian coach who is doing well. Today ‘Chicho’ has been with the team for a year and a half, and things are going well for him. His statistics speak for themselves, he has the support of us. With ‘Chicho’ we are dead to this day.
Did winning the Copa Libertadores mean taking off a heavy backpack?
There was a lot of speculation, a lot of talk about it. I think the Peruvians themselves were happy about that (going 30 games without winning in the Libertadores), not the Alianza fans; but that is the negative that Peru has. The negative sells, it has always been like that. As a Peruvian I am happy when the ‘U’ is doing well. There is rivalry when a classic is played, it is inevitable, but when a Peruvian team plays abroad, you have to support them, you don’t have to wish the other ill. It has always been said that the enemy of a Peruvian is another Peruvian, and honestly that annoys me; but it’s part of football. What matters most to me is Alianza, we are having a good time, with positive results in the cup, we have already broken that spell that was talked about so much and now we simply have to think about other more important things and the classification, which is not impossible. A Peruvian team hasn’t made it to the next round of the Libertadores for a long time, which is a very tough tournament. And let’s just hope that Alianza and the Peruvian teams do well.
At the moment that Alianza is going through, it is logical to be excited about the three-time championship and in the Libertadores …
We work to be three-time champions. Alianza has made a tremendous effort bringing many players from abroad, I’m talking about myself too, he made a great effort. I think he has put together a group to fight for the title as many years as possible. And especially in the Libertadores, which was the main objective, to take off our backpacks and play looser. But that does not mean that we are going to relax, now our next goal is to qualify. We know we have it there, we don’t feel less than anyone or better than anyone. We are a very humble team, we have to keep working hard to get the results.
Jefferson Farfán said that he considered you the best central defender in Peruvian football after ‘Mudo’ Rodríguez…
Each one has its own concept. I respect that. Maybe he can also say: ‘I don’t like Zambrano’. And nothing happens. I feel the best and that’s enough. People can say that I am very bad. Honestly, it slips me. What matters to me is what I, my family and the club think. Alliance is my home. If they are happy with me, I will be calm.
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