Sad news in Peruvian soccer

Peruvian soccer is in mourning. Freddy Ternero passed away today at the age of 53, confirmed a source close to his family. Ternero was the former coach of Cienciano, the team that won the Copa Sudamericana and the Recopa Sudamericana.

Freddy Ternero, who was also a former mayor of San Martin de Porres district, had been in poor health for the past four months due to cancer and was hospitalized at Clinica Delgado. He had undergone multiple surgeries.

Ternero began his career as a football player for Universitario de Deportes in 1978, the team with which he won four First Division titles. He also won the Copa Peru with Leon de Huanuco in 1980.

As a coach, he was an assistant to Sergio Markarian, with whom he won the championship in '93. He was also an assistant to Juan Carlos Oblitas in the qualifying rounds for the 1998 World Cup. In fact, he coached the '97 Copa America with an Under-23 team supported by four senior players, achieving a fourth-place finish.

His main achievements as a coach came with Cienciano del Cusco. He won the Copa Sudamericana 2003 by defeating River Plate in the final, held in Arequipa; and the Recopa Sudamericana by winning against Boca Juniors in the United States on penalties.