THE HISTORY OF FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN PAOLO GUERRERO

AND JEFFERSON FARFÁN

The great friendship that one with Paolo Guerrero and Jefferson Farfán
strengthened in the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The 'Foquita' scared everyone
during a training of the National Team of Peru and the captain of the bicolor paid
him a tribute.

The union of the two players of the bicolor comes from childhood. This has been
reflected in a mode of homage in emotional drawings made by prominent Peruvian
illustrators
The history of friendship between Paolo Guerrero and Jefferson Farfán began in
1996, when "Jeffry" was twelve years old and arrived at the Alianza Lima youth
division, where the captain of the Peruvian national team was leader of the group
and welcomed him.

These friends defended the blue and white shirt of category 84 and enjoyed their best
goals. Outside the courts, the friendship continued, they were buddies and friends of
mischief. That friendship became a brotherhood, for that reason, whenever one of them is
in trouble, they support each other, although in recent months Jefferson Farfán is the one
who has always dedicated some lines of encouragement to Paolo Guerrero. The affection
and respect of Farfán to Guerrero is so great that he even dedicated a goal and the pass
to the Russia 2018 World Cup. Undoubtedly, Paolo Guerrero and Jefferson Farfán are
lifelong friends, inseparable, brothers of another blood

Brothers of soccer. Jefferson Farfán moved all of Peru when he celebrated his goal
between tears and with the shirt of Paolo Guerrero. The friendship they have is not recent.
They have known each other since they were children, they studied together, they played
the minor divisions in Alianza Lima and in the youth teams of the Bicolor. This is the story
of the 'compadres'. Both players were the best in the minor divisions of Alianza Lima. They
formed a luxury duo but they could never play together in the first division because the
'Predator' went to Germany before debuting with the first team. Years later they would
meet in Germany, Farfán in Schalke 04 and Guerrero in Hamburg. In the Peruvian national
team they played together in all the lower categories and debuted with the absolute team
in 2004. Both are about to fulfill the dream they had as children and play a world cup
together. Guerrero made an emotional gesture to wear the shirt of his "compadre"
Jefferson Farfán, after he sealed the victory against Australia with a second goal.
Afterwards, Farfán responded to his friend's gesture through his Instagram account:
"Thanks for every brother," he wrote. These gestures had already taken place before,
when Peru faced New Zealand in the playoff and the Predator could not be present. The
'Foquita' scored the goal that put the bicolor advantage and celebrated the score by
showing the shirt of Paolo Guerrero. However, this friendship goes back to when they
were children, because they studied at the same school "Los Reyes Rojos" in Barranco,
where they played in the juvenile divisions in Alianza Lima. Since that time they were
already a luxury duo that could never be seen in the first division because Paolo went to
Germany before debuting with the first team. Although years later both would be in
Germany playing for different clubs: Farfán in Schalke 04 and Guerrero in Hamburg, the
friendship never broke and remained. These Peruvian craves dreamed from a very young
age to participate in a World Cup representing the bicolor and after a long road they
achieved their goals. Although their future is uncertain, what is certain is that their
friendship is strengthened more and more.

Al técnico de la selección peruana, Ricardo Gareca, se le atribuye

el despertar de la mentalidad ganadora de la selección. El
entrenador ha demostrado que sus estrategias de 'management'
para con los jugadores peruanos han rendido fruto.

En ese sentido, El Comercio conversó con él durante la última

edición de CADE Ejecutivos, en diciembre del año pasado, acerca
de su labor como líder de un equipo de alto desempeño.

¿Qué hace el entrenador de la selección peruana de fútbol en

un evento para empresarios?
Es una movida de la Federación, que quiso estar presente. Creo
que es importante que en el fútbol, tanto empresarios como
políticos en cierta manera tengan una unión. La Federación está
en un momento muy importante que involucra al ambiente general
del país. El tener una iniciativa agresiva respecto a lo que
significa la competencia, la formación del deportista, del jugador
de fútbol y hacerlo algo centralizado. La finalidad es esa.

Tú que manejas a los jugadores más talentosos del país,

¿Cómo ensamblas al equipo de seleccionados para que
funcionen bien?
[La labor] la hacen permanentemente los gerentes. La gerencia
deportiva está permanentemente encima de uno ante las
necesidades, no solo de la logística sino del día a día. El
ensamblamiento, más que nada, es a través de los jugadores con
un contacto directo con el entrenador. Se debe tratar de formar un
grupo de trabajo que con la selección y que esto plantee
proyectos de año a año.
¿Cuál es su estilo de liderazgo con este grupo de jugadores?
Respecto a la palabra liderazgo, me gusta que sea participativa.
Me parece que se puede ser líder dando iniciativa a los jugadores
de fútbol que son los verdaderos protagonistas. Mi tendencia es
que ellos se sientan importantes dentro y fuera del campo de
juego y, lógicamente, las decisiones finales pasan por mí.

Me gusta que el protagonista que salga al campo de juego

también tenga una participación directa. Que dé su opinión y que
lleguemos a un punto de acuerdo en una manera de jugar, de
proceder y de convivir.

Tienes un dilema que enfrenta a muchos gerentes también.

¿Cómo es tu proceso para decidir a quién convocas y a quien
no?
Resultado y compromiso; lo ideal es obtener ambos. Que cada
vez la gente se comprometa más en lo que significa representar al
país. A través del compromiso que logremos, vamos a obtener el
resultado deseado. La calidad futbolística está, pero necesitamos
involucrarnos cada vez más, sea cual fuese el jugador.

Todo ejecutivo tiene que lidiar con su jefe ¿Cómo lidia usted
con sus treinta millones de jefes que somos los hinchas
peruanos?
Es algo a lo que uno tiene que estar acostumbrado. Cuando uno
ejerce esta función [técnico de la selección peruana], sabemos
que despertaremos diferentes sensaciones y que todo el mundo
opinará; es parte de esto.

Lo más importante es tener convicciones sobre lo que uno quiere,

independientemente de las opiniones. Uno escucha a la gente
que tiene que escuchar, pero tenemos que saber tomar
decisiones.
The technician of the Peruvian team, Ricardo Gareca, is credited
with awakening the winning mentality of the national team. The
coach has shown that his 'management' strategies for Peruvian
players have paid off.

In that sense, El Comercio spoke with him during the last edition
of CADE Ejecutivos, in December of last year, about his work as a
leader of a high-performance team.

What does the coach of the Peruvian soccer team do at an event

for entrepreneurs?

It is a move of the Federation, which wanted to be present. I think

it's important that in football, both businessmen and politicians in a
certain way have a union. The Federation is at a very important
moment that involves the general environment of the country.
Having an aggressive initiative regarding what the competition
means, the training of the athlete, the soccer player and making it
something centralized. The purpose is that.

You who manage the most talented players in the country, how do
you assemble the selected team so that they work well?

[The work] is done permanently by managers. The sport

management is permanently on top of one before the needs, not
only of the logistics but of the day to day. The assembly, more
than anything, is through the players with a direct contact with the
coach. You should try to form a working group that with the
selection and that this should raise projects from year to year.

What is your leadership style with this group of players?

Regarding the word leadership, I like it to be participatory. It

seems to me that you can be a leader giving initiative to the
soccer players who are the real protagonists. My tendency is that
they feel important inside and outside the field of play and,
logically, the final decisions go through me.
I like that the protagonist who goes to the field of play also has a
direct participation. Let him give his opinion and let us reach a
point of agreement in a way of playing, of proceeding and of
coexisting.

You have a dilemma that confronts many managers as well. How

is your process to decide who you call and who does not?

Result and commitment; The ideal is to obtain both. May the

people become more committed in what it means to represent the
country. Through the commitment we achieve, we will obtain the
desired result. Football quality is there, but we need to get more
and more involved, whatever the player is.

Every executive has to deal with his boss. How do you deal with
your thirty million bosses that we are the Peruvian fans?

It's something you have to be used to. When one exercises this
function [technical of the Peruvian national team], we know that
we will awaken different sensations and that everyone will think; It
is part of this.

The most important thing is to have convictions about what one

wants, regardless of opinions. You listen to the people who have
to listen, but we have to know how to make decisions.