During the qualifiers, the national team coach, Ricardo Gareca, has been in the news not only for his performance on the sidelines of the team, but also for his superstitions, which have been considered an anecdotal topic.
The coach has followed a series of superstitions, many of which 'worked' since the national team achieved the expected result and for that reason, the 'tiger' has not changed them for any reason.
The most well-known was the photo with his girlfriend, when the coach, before the match against Uruguay, saw a couple having their photo session in the same hotel where the national team was concentrated and said 'touching the girlfriend brings good luck' and then called his assistant, Sergio Santín, taking the photo that went viral, after Peru defeated Uruguay 2-1 in a tough match.
However, he also has other superstitions, among which is his dislike for the color green. This became evident when midfielder Wilder Cartagena wore green cleats during a training session and Gareca asked him to change them so that practice could continue.
Another superstition is that listening to Marc Anthony's songs is forbidden in the dressing room. The Argentine coach cannot tolerate the songs of the Puerto Rican artist. According to Infobae, the Argentine used to listen to the salsa singer, but his poor performance at Independiente Santa Fe in 2006 led to him being banned.
Lastly, Ricardo Gareca demands that if the team achieves a positive result, the same people who travelled from the concentration place to the stadium should be on the return path.