Sporting Cristal, in front of a crowded National Stadium of fans, secured their spot in the group stage of the 2023 Copa Libertadores, where they hope to perform well and qualify for the round of 16 of the tournament after 19 years.
You can see: Four-time champion with Cristal revealed that they wouldn't let him in the club: "I had to call Soto"
With this determination, the team led by Tiago Nunes has not only gained the recognition of loyal fans, but also of former players who once wore the sky blue jersey. One of them is Erick Torres, who is not just a minor figure, but has a good number of national titles to his name in Florida with 4 championships.
The popular 'Charapa' shared his point of view about what his former team achieved, but made a controversial statement about the coach, comparing him to other Peruvian talents who are responsible for making tactical decisions on the substitute benches.
"I also had Brazilian coaches in the club and they contribute a lot to the team's growth. There are also very good national coaches who have the same ability," were the words of the Cristal champion in 1995, 1996, 2002 and 2005 for 'All Voices of Soccer'.
When will Sporting Cristal play again?
The next time Sporting Cristal takes the field will be against Atlético Grau on Sunday, March 19th at 15:30 hours.
When is the Copa Libertadores draw?
The draw for the group stage of the Copa Libertadores will take place on Monday, March 27th, and Sporting Cristal is in pot 4, which means they could face really tough opponents.
When does the Copa Libertadores group stage start?
The well-known group stage will begin on April 4th and end on June 29th. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the round of 16, and the third-placed team will go to the Copa Sudamericana.