The Toluca leader claims credibility

The Toluca leader claims credibility, it does so from its position as the overall leader, a condition that was earned on the field with good football, recovering positions from the middle of the season until reaching first place in the standings and defending it on the field, where the champion is determined.

Francisco Suinaga, sports president of the Diablos, speaks clearly, saying "the numbers are there, the same thing always happens, they don't see us as favorites, but this team has a winning DNA, we are a team that has worked well and we will continue on that path, with our clear objective and doing our thing even if others don't see it," he says via telephone from Tijuana, where the team is already installed for the first leg of their semifinal against the Xolos.

Toluca is recognizable, in this process self-criticism was made in time and clear communication was established with the players and the coach. "We are professionals and I don't believe in reading manuals, but in professional communication."

Suinaga brought three players to Toluca who were seen as conflicting: Rubens Sambueza, Ángel Reyna, and Luis Quiñones, three individuals who have committed to the cause and have been key pieces in their aspirations.

RUBENS SAMBUEZA

He has always had a rebellious spirit, a word that fits him perfectly because he is a player who does not shy away from confrontation, who is comfortable in face-to-face situations.

He arrived in Mexico in 2007 and always carried the reputation of being troublesome, referees would constantly book him. And it was at América where that fame increased.

He has never managed to have good chemistry with authoritarian figures, during his days in Coapa he even raised his voice and claimed that he felt persecuted. It is true that there were days when he would cheat, but there were also others when he would receive countless fouls.

Sambu is a player who has talent, that spark of imbalance that heats up opponents because he goes time and time again into physical confrontations, he likes contact. At América, he became captain and showed that he has the experience and pressure doesn't frighten him, it motivates him and brings out his best version.

He left América at the end of 2016. He landed at Toluca, where Hernán Cristante didn't care about Sambueza's reputation, but about his footballing talent, he was convinced that he still had something to offer and that he could show it with the Diablos.

And Sambueza resurfaced. The Argentine midfielder has become one of the leaders of the team, wears the captain's armband, and has lowered his number of red cards, with only one in three tournaments.

Francisco Suinaga, Toluca's sports president, talked about the weight that Sambueza carries in the team and how he has transformed that reputation into leadership within the Diablos. "We spoke with Rubens, he wanted to come to the club, there was some annoyance because he was an América reference, but he has shown on the field that he is a very important player."

ÁNGEL REYNA

The nickname Ángel Reyna, Pleititos (little fights), is enough to know the temperament of this footballer.

Being raised in América, there is an episode of Reyna's life that led to his separation from the club when he showed a firearm to one of his teammates, immediately opening the exit door for him. He previously criticized the then captain of the Águilas, Aquivaldo Mosquera, when he called him a "water captain."

From América, he moved to Monterrey where he couldn't make an impact and after a year he went to Pachuca, where he also couldn't settle because he asked to be the best-paid player on the team, a request that was not granted.

In his nomadic version, he arrived at Veracruz, where he once again got involved in an incident with a teammate, he got into a fight with Christian Llama, who even slapped him.

Although it seemed unlikely, he came to wear the Chivas jersey, where he also failed to be the player that the Guadalajara leadership expected. At the time, he said that the interim coach, Ramón Morales, was a "trainee coach." He was relegated to the third division and Jorge Vergara said he "did not identify with the team's culture."

He arrived at Celaya, a club in which his agent, Guillermo Lara, had an investment, a player who was projected as someone who could leave a mark ended up in the promotion league until Toluca went looking for him.

Suinaga recounts that "Ángel was another one of the players we spoke with, in addition to Hernán knowing him from his time at Veracruz, Hernán deserves great credit for speaking with him and Ángel has perfectly assumed his role, he knows the institution he is in. A key aspect is that he wanted to continue being a player in the first division and when we offered him that opportunity, he accepted."

LUIS QUIÑONES

The Colombian footballer has imbalance as his calling card. He has played for three Liga MX teams, Pumas, Tigres, and Lobos BUAP, without consolidating, although he has shown qualities that highlight his game.

In his native Colombia, Quiñones had problems at Independiente de Santa Fe for leaving the concentration to go drink alcohol.

There were other problems in his country where he even offended fans of his own club on social media. Although in Mexico he had not presented major conflicts, there were many rumors that he is a player who enjoys partying.

After a good season with Pumas, Tigres decided to bring him on board to increase internal competition, but he did not get the amount of playing time he desired, and the feline club decided to find a place for him because there was no room for him.

He was loaned to Lobos BUAP a year ago and there the player who had had his conflictual situations resurfaced. His time with the Puebla team was very poor, he only played five games and when he was injured, he engaged in acts of indiscipline.

"The club Lobos BUAP informs that the player has been permanently discharged from the Lobos BUAP club since during his rehabilitation period he engaged in repeated acts of indiscipline, which are unacceptable to the institution," announced the Puebla team in September of last year.

But Toluca revived him. "Luis went through something similar, we touched on a revenge aspect, he is a good guy, who has a disruptive game and he has shown it here. He is committed to the club and has shown his qualities, we are happy that he has shown the football we expected from him," Suinaga said.