The first casualty
Sporting Cristal, after losing the Liga 1 Betsson against Alianza Lima, is already planning its participation in the local tournament and the next Copa Libertadores. A few hours ago, the club announced its first casualty and confirmed that the player Marcos Riquelme will no longer be part of the squad.
The Argentine forward, who was expelled in the final against the blanquiazules, used his social media to send a message to the celeste fans. "Thank you, Sporting Cristal, for letting me wear your beautiful colors this year. I leave with a bitter taste for not being able to defend you as it should have been", he posted on his Instagram account.
Message of farewell from Marcos Riquelme. Photo: Instagram Marcos Riquelme
He also thanked all those who were there for him during the campaign. "I just want to thank everyone who, despite my difficult moments, was always close to me to lift me up. Success to all my teammates and thank you for everything, I will miss you", he added.
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Under the orders of Roberto Mosquera, the 32-year-old player played 28 matches (Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana, Liga 1 and Copa Bicentenario) and only managed to score eight times. A number that may not have motivated his renewal.
On the other hand, the rimense team will have to find a replacement to strengthen the offensive zone. According to the newspaper Líbero, the first option on the list would be Derlis Aquino (21 years old), who comes from being the top scorer with Libertad de Paraguay in the Copa Libertadores Sub-20.