Fabián Bustos arrived in Peruvian football this season and has managed in a short time to obtain results with the Universitario de Deportes. At the beginning of the Clausura Tournament, the experienced Argentine coach analyzed the reality of national football and took advantage of the Copa América to highlight some differences with other countries.
The 55-year-old coach, who has coached in leagues such as Brazil and Ecuador, voiced strong criticism and stressed the importance of improving the infrastructure of Ligue 1 clubs.
Fabián Bustos and his harsh criticism of Peruvian football
“The reality is that there are many things to improve. There are locker rooms that, honestly, are not up to par, areas that are very complicated. If we want to improve and grow, we start with that: the facilities, the infrastructure, the materials, the fields. Then there is something fundamental… In the last 7 years I have had to direct Libertadores and Sudamericana and you see the stadiums, how many are authorized in Peru to participate in the Copa Libertadores or Conmebol tournaments? (…). “We need to improve the level, the reserve championships which started late. The guys in our reserve have played 6 or 7 matches, and we are in July. Many situations can be improved,” he said in an interview with L1 Radio.
Fabián Bustos stressed how dangerous it is to play a game at noon in the local competition and mentioned that, in this aspect, teams like Canada and Venezuela have an advantage over us.
“Another thing that is fundamental for me, if we want to improve the level of the players who are trained and who will be the future of the national teams, is that Football is played from 5pm all over the world. We just watched the Copa America… Canadians and Venezuelans are “flying”, Many teams have enormous dynamics and speed. Here (Peru), playing at 13 or 14 hours is very difficult. In today's football, better games are generated because players run more. They run at night and they run much more because they are less worn out,” he said.
“We are bringing them closer to the highest level, to the level that other countries have. I think that is something that we have to achieve: that the fields are lit. If a field does not have lighting, or is not in good condition, the peloton will surely not pass if a team advances in the Sudamericana,” he concluded.
How did Canada and Venezuela perform in the Copa America?
Unlike the Peruvian team, Canada and Venezuela reached the quarterfinals of the Copa América. In this case, the two teams faced each other and the Concacaf team advanced to the semifinals after winning 4-3 on penalties.
Canada eliminated the Peruvian team in the group stage of the Copa América 2024. Photo: AFP.
When does Universitario play?
Universitario will face César Vallejo in a friendly this Sunday, July 7. The match, which will serve as preparation for the Clausura Tournament, will be played at the Monumental de Ate starting at 3:30 p.m. (Peruvian time).
Universitario is the current Peruvian football champion. Photo: University
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