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After the FPF announced that Gustavo Roverano has ceased to be the coach of the U20 team following the disastrous results in the South American Games in Asuncion (Paraguay), perhaps this tweet from a user revealed the moment of uncertainty currently experienced by the Peruvian National Team of that category, three months before the start of the South American Championship: " The good news? Roverano was fired. The bad news? Arakaki will choose the next coach for the U20 team."
In addition to the Uruguayan strategist, Ernerto Arakaki, director of the Youth Technical Unit of the FPF, is being pointed out as the other major culprit of the disastrous campaign of the national team in this category, which even includes promising players such as Joao Grimaldo (Sporting Cristal), Kenji Cabrera and Matías Lazo (Melgar), Jostin Alarcón (Sport Boys), Arón Sánchez (Cantolao), and Catriel Cabellos (Racing), the latter three being called up to Juan Reynoso's pre-selection list.
Chronicle of an announced disaster
Arakaki was responsible for choosing Roverano in February, in a surprising election. Both were teammates at Alianza from 2001 to 2003. This was for the position of the new U20 coach, a category that has been a failure since the 2013 South American Championship, when the team led by Daniel Ahmed, which included Edison Flores, Yordy Reyna, Renato Tapia, Cristian Benavente, among others, missed qualifying for the Turkey World Cup by just two points.
("Roverano was one of those who passed all the filters successfully. Unfortunately, he played with me and is a friend, so I don't think there's anything wrong with working with people you trust," said the 'Chino' when the first questions arose about the selection of the 'charrúa', who had not coached for two years and had never had any significant experience as a coach. His last team was Sport Chavelines in 2020 (Second Division) and before joining Videna, he was a commentator on a YouTube program.)
Today, after eight months, during which Roverano captured and prepared the boys in the category, the results are abysmal: only one win in 12 matches (7 defeats and 4 draws), with the main trigger for his departure being the shameful 6-0 defeat suffered at the hands of Paraguay in the recent South American Games in Asuncion. It should also be noted that he did not have most of his starters available because it was not an official tournament and the clubs did not release their players.
Not again, Ernesto?
Considering that he is the head of the youth national teams at Videna, Arakaki also has the responsibility of choosing the new U20 coach, only three months before the start of the South American Championship in Colombia (January). Given his recent mistake with the selection of Roverano, it wouldn't make much sense for the 'Chino' to make another gamble.
For now, Flavio Maestri, who has had experience with the U17 team and currently coaches the U23 team - which is preparing for the Pre-Olympic Tournament in Venezuela next year - is strongly rumored to be the one to take on the mission. Will it be the right decision? Arakaki will have to face the consequences in the coming days to explain the current disaster of the U20 team.