The arrival of Paolo Guerrero at Racing Club in Argentina excites many and also worries many others, as was the case on ESPN's ‘Equipo F’ program, where former Brazilian player Julinho expressed a lot of pessimism about what the performance of the ‘Depredador’ will be in his new team, taking into account his last performance.
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The Brazilian, who even defended the shirt of the Peruvian national team, has always been a defender of the Peruvian striker's game, but the injury to his right knee and the demanding schedules have made the charismatic player express these surprising opinions.
“I am one of Paolo's biggest admirers and I defend him to the death, but what I'm about to say is tough. Everything has a beginning and an end, right? Paolo is 39 years old and has had serious injuries, and for me, the biggest thermometer was at Avaí in Brazil,” said the Brazilian, much to the surprise of his fellow panelists on the show.
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For the former forward, the ‘Depredador’ disappointed him wearing the ‘León de la isla’shirt, despite the fact that the club in Florianópolis did not have the same demands as Racing if he passes the medical tests.
“There (Avaí FC) I expected and had a lot of hope that it would work out, but it didn't, we have to be realistic. He hardly played and got injured again. When you turn 39, with so much wear and tear, and so many injuries, I see it as very difficult to go to such a competitive league like Argentina and the team he will play for, which is Racing and has a lot of pressure behind it. Different from Avaí that was a small team,” he argued.
After the Brazilian's harsh analysis, he expressed his real desire to be proven wrong and for Paolo Guerrero to have a great time at Fernando Gago's team. “I hope, and I say this with all the affection I have for Paolo, because for me he is a monster and one of the best players in Peruvian football, I hope it works out, but I see it as very difficult,” he concluded.
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Percy Olivares: “We can't blind ourselves”
Another former football player and panelist on the show, Percy Olivares, joined in on Julinho's recent statements. “In the depths of our opinion, I believe that people can perceive it and if they don't, I say it clearly, in the depths of our opinion is a desire for him to do well, to be well, to recover. From my part, that's how it is, but you can't blind yourself,” said the former Sporting Cristal player.
The ‘Zancudo’ compared the case of the ‘Depredador’ with that of Jefferson Farfán. “Age is what makes Jefferson and Paolo's problem similar. If we were talking about a 24-year-old guy, we probably wouldn't be saying any of this, because he has time to recover and does it faster,” he said.