*The football process of Millionaires
*Other lessons that do not remain to be highlighted
The title of the Colombian soccer opening championship that was won by Millonarios against Nacional last Saturday, at the El Campín stadium, in one of the most dramatic finals in recent years, leaves a series of lessons learned that it is pertinent to analyze, beyond of the normal passion that this sport produces.
On the one hand, after the National Team failed to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar, there was a coincidence that it was necessary to review the Colombian football process. There was talk of the need to bet on long-term internal projects, with experienced coaches and the primary objective of increasing the quality of the game and recovering that style that years ago put Creole soccer among the most admired on the planet, especially in Brazil 2014. .
Obviously betting on long-term processes in football is not easy, not only at the national team level but also in clubs. The requirement of short-term results is often imposed on the possibility of advancing projects with a broader horizon and more structural objectives. Priority is given to buying passes for players with a long history rather than assuming the risk of taking the time to promote their own youth talent pool. Coaches are relieved after some setbacks, instead of betting on enduring the storms and the pressure of the fans, in order to respect a long-term job, which requires the maturation of schemes and players.
Millionaires is an example of the latter. Since Alberto Gamero arrived in 2020, the directives decided that there would be a process under his orders. They agreed to reinforce the lower divisions as well as promote youth players to the main roster so that they could interact with experienced players. This at the same time as starting a work of convincing the fans to support this strategy. It wasn’t easy, titles are required of a club like this. However, little by little the team began to show its own style, an attractive, offensive game, where in addition to quality, there was a lot of desire and commitment, especially from young talents who were given the opportunity to add minutes. , to be in important matches, to experience the ups and downs of this sport.
That process paid off. The team began to be the protagonist of the defining phases and in several championships it was the one that scored the most points and showed the best game, even if they failed in the final phases. Several of his talents were transferred to local and foreign clubs, demonstrating that when you commit to strengthening your youth academy, the economic results are also positive. The fans, despite clearly regretting not having won a title -except for the Copa Colombia in 2022- in more than three years, always supported Gamero and the directives in their commitment to a long-term project. Not all fans have that patience. That is a very valuable plus that must be valued in its proper dimension: directives, coach, players and followers betting on a single objective.
In that order of ideas, the league title won this weekend by Millonarios could serve as an example for the rest of professional and amateur football. He is a star product of a multi-year process, with ups and downs, with many experienced players who demonstrated their commitment to an idea, philosophy and a style of play, as well as a large number of young talents but already with enough mileage to demonstrate their capabilities in national and international stadiums. The albiazules have a present and a future, a capital from which some other teams can learn.
Another lesson also derives from prioritizing the Colombian player rather than betting on large foreign contracts, without these having to be demonized or disqualified, more so in a club that like Millonarios has the honor of having world-class stars and so many other foreigners who have passed by the blue awnings in almost seven decades of history.
It should also be highlighted, as a crucial lesson that must continue to be deepened, that, despite the rivalry between the two biggest fans in the country, the two games in the final took place in a competitive environment and without overflows. Calls for the show to be enjoyed in peace were positive. Increasingly, football, in addition to a game, must be an experience or experience in which people can meet and achieve shared happiness.
Congratulations, then, to Millionaires. A deserved title to his process. Also just when the Colombian National Team shows favorable historical results. It is clear that Colombian soccer is beginning to recover, as evidenced by the performance of the selected teams, the participation of the clubs in the continental cups and the category of national income. There are reasons to be optimistic, that is the most important thing.