In 2004, without a single domestic league title to their name, Cienciano scaled the peaks of South American football – and I was there
Tag: peru
Between Cubillas, Chumpitaz and Sotil, Peru in the 1970s boasted some of the world’s greatest players – but it was against a backdrop of national tragedy
As Edison Flores sprinted down the left flank, he had three options. He could either cut inside and shoot, lay it off in the middle and make a run, or pick out a…
After watching the Dutch side at the 1974 World Cup, Sergio Markarián gave up his well-paid job to become one of the great journeymen coaches of his time
THE NAME LUIS ESCOBAR stimulates discussion and inspires nostalgia all over his native Peru. He has reached near-mythical status, with stories of his legendary talent having been passed down by generations of…
IN 2001, a 13-year-old Lionel Messi and his family relocated from Rosario to Barcelona. Reports of his trial are poetic, as just two minutes on a football pitch were enough for the…
Illustration by Federico Manasse Few footballers are remembered for one moment of genius quite like Teófilo Cubillas is for his impudent, outside-of-the-boot free-kick against Scotland at the 1978 World Cup. It is…
PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLERS are wondrous athletes. The sheer talent that many possess often ensures fans and media run out of superlatives to describe what they have just witnessed. However, there are fine lines…
THE PAST IS a delicate topic in sport. It is often used to predict the future, but sometimes it means very little. A team could traditionally struggle against a particular opponent but…
Werder Bremen were in trouble. Viktor Skrypnyk’s side was only one point above the relegation zone entering the winter break during the 2015/16 Bundesliga season. Thankfully, Bremen managed to pick up a…
As Christian Cueva dribbled towards Diego Barretto’s goal, rounded the Paraguayan goalkeeper and scored Peru’s third goal in a massive 4-1 win in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying, there was a sense of…
ON 3 JUNE 1978, Peruvian footballer Teófilo Cubillas broke the hearts of five million Scots with a set-piece of ineffable magic. Moments earlier, Cubillas stood 20-yards away from the Scottish goal, staring…
In 1987, Peru lost its number one ranked club side and biggest hope for the future of the national team. We look back at the nation’s greatest footballing tragedy.
Nowadays it’s becoming increasingly rare for English managers to find success outside of the British Isles. Steve McClaren led Twente to the Eredivisie title in 2010 but then struggled in Germany with…
The odyssey of Rudi Gutendorf, the German who saw genocide, corruption and coached 18 national teams
NOT MANY COACHES in the history of professional football can provide first-hand accounts of genocide, tell stories of a close connection to a South American president, or put manager of 18 different…