The name of Leao Butrón was perhaps the most mentioned in the Opening Tournament 2017 and it is not a coincidence. The goalkeeper was the figure of Alianza Lima and earned the respect and affection of the blanquiazul fan. Despite the current situation, many are unaware of passages from his sports career, which led him to go through one of his best moments at the age of 40. In an interview with El Comercio, Leao opened up to his fans and revealed moments from his life that marked him.

Furthermore, in addition to dedicating himself to football, Leao graduated as a coach in Arequipa, studied international business, and obtained a master's degree in sports management. Although he considers them as alternatives, he has the vision of continuing to be involved in football after retirement.

At the moment, he is also the president of Olímpico de Socabaya club in Arequipa, where he also has the support of Antonio Meza Cuadra and Ysrael Zúñiga. "Lately 'Cachete' is pretending not to hear me, but I'm going to shake him up," he said with a laugh.

At 21 years old, Leao gave details about an episode that changed his life. In 1998, being the starting goalkeeper for Sporting Cristal, he had returned to Lima after winning a match in Sullana by 3-2.

"At that time I thought I owned the world. A young man with a certain amount of money, with the ease of being here and there," said Leao, and then recounted that during one of his outings, he suffered a spectacular car accident that caused a knee injury and a large wound on his head that required 40 stitches. "A garbage truck cut me off and I couldn't brake anymore."

That situation made him reflect because he lost the great opportunity to give back to Cristal everything it had given him. "They shaped me, helped me in school and college because they paid for everything." Leao still regrets that the accident prevented him from continuing to grow in the blue team.

The 'cocachos' to Christian Cueva

The experience of Leao Butrón has influenced young talents. A few years ago, when he played for San Martín, he witnessed Christian Cueva's first steps and because he knew his talent, he didn't miss the opportunity to reprimand him. "He started to grow footballistically and started to see things here and there. As a friend, I felt obligated to tell him 'Cholo', do this or that. It's his merit to have settled down," he said on the subject.

The blanquiazul DNA

Leao Butrón said that from a young age he was inclined towards Alianza Lima, despite his father and brother being fans of 'U'. "It's in the DNA like any Alianza fan," he said. At the same time, he didn't want to miss the opportunity to emphasize that all fans deserve respect.

The goalkeeper dared to talk about his family and mentioned that his 21-year-old daughter Daniela has even been praised by other footballers, but he assures that he is not jealous. "My duty is not to choose for them, but to teach them to make their own decisions."

Finally, he mentioned that one of the "thorns" that remain for him as a footballer is that he hasn't been able to play abroad or qualify with Peru for a World Cup.

Watch the full interview with Leao Butrón in the following video.