The captain is back. Héctor Chumpitaz, man who achieved 8 titles with Universitario, has been honored by the club and the merengue fans at the Noche Crema.
At around 7:40 pm (25 minutes later than scheduled), the lights at the Monumental Stadium went out and the tribute began. Videos about his time in the Peruvian National Team, his time at the U, and the ovation from the Trinchera were the prelude to his appearance.
Gratitude and love. Emotionally and with quick breath, Chumpitaz watched the monitor where photos of his glory days were shown. The bitterness and sadness over the loss of his mother a few weeks ago were left behind, finding strength in the support of the fans.
"For me, it is a great satisfaction. I want to thank the team that I love so much, where the best Peruvian player, Lolo Fernández, played. Maybe I don't deserve it, but I am very grateful. Congratulations to everyone," said the captain with great emotion.
He took the commemorative plaque and left the stage while the stadium chanted "Olé, olé, olé, Chumpi, Chumpi". The ceremony had then begun.
