Quito -
The Spanish Ivan Vázquez, 31, is the director of all training categories of Independiente del Valle, a position he assumed last January. He has been linked to this area for 15 years, he says. From his experience, in dialogue with this diary, he analyzes the potential that exists in Ecuador, the difference with training in Europe, what to do to avoid age-related problems, and how to keep Independiente as a seedbed, something that has the club as a protagonist in the tournaments in the country, and even in November he was crowned champion of the Copa Sudamericana.
How did you join the club?
It was something that surprised me a lot. In December of last year I ended my relationship with Deportivo La Coruña and I started receiving calls, one of them from Ecuador. I had my life set up in Spain and the last thing I thought about was leaving. Everything went quickly and I accepted; I don't regret it.
How is the infrastructure?
Very developed, better than many clubs in Europe. We have a total of ten fields, two for the first team.
What is evaluated to "recruit" children or young people?
The idea is to have the best in the country, but not just the best player, but the best for what Independiente wants. There can be an under-12 boy who stands out a lot for his physical strength, who runs, but you have to be careful because there are many cases of age falsification in youth soccer. The kids must possess technique, be fast and powerful.
How to combat the issue of age falsification?
That can be seen at a glance. But, if there is any doubt, a wrist medical test is done to determine the actual age.
Do you travel the country in search of talent?
We have a team of talent scouts, but I do like to occasionally travel to the areas myself. One of the first things I did when I arrived in Ecuador was to go to those places and see the reality of the kids. One of the things that struck me is that most of them live in complicated areas, with a lot of poverty. It's important to know that to understand certain behaviors.
We want Independiente to have an attractive idea of soccer, but beyond that, we must win with fair play, with values. Ivan Vázquez, director of training at Independiente
Are there differences with training in Europe?
There, the football player has everything.
Even in childhood?
In the vast majority, they have all the facilities to reach professionalism. If their shoes break, they have others. If they don't play on one team, they go to another, etc. Here it's more difficult to reach that level. But in Ecuador, something that no longer happens in Europe, is that many kids play in the street due to poverty. Always being with the ball makes them develop their talent. In Europe, parents give them a computer and they don't develop their innate talent. In Ecuador, creativity is maximum, and if a methodology is added to that, something successful can come out, as Independiente is demonstrating.
What have you found during your travels?
(Sighs) In Esmeraldas, a father approached me and asked why a certain field had been chosen for the games and not the one at the entrance of the town. So, I asked why and he responded, "Because coming here costs $1 and many parents don't have that money, while to go to the other one it costs only 20 cents." I was left speechless.
What happens if an under-18 player doesn't reach professionalism?
We have the Reserve team and the affiliate of the Serie B (Independiente Juniors), but of course there are others who don't fit in that squad. That's why the most important thing is that during their time at the club they study, prepare themselves, to face life from another perspective, because in reality, when they grow up, there will be many more who won't make it as professionals.
What new players will we see in the first team in 2020?
We still don't know, but we want to make as few mistakes as possible, as has happened in recent years.
Can Independiente continue to be a protagonist?
That's always the idea, that the performance doesn't decline, and that's how we managed to win the Copa Sudamericana this year, but we can't get confused and complacent. The work must continue and be better. (D)