The previous Saturday, in Uruguay, Liga de Quito won the only final of the Copa Sudamericana by beating Fortaleza of Brazil on penalties. For Alba, it was the fifth crowning in the Conmebol tournament (Libertadores, twice Recopa, now several South American titles), and when the delegation returned to the capital, upon arrival in the capital, Esteban Paz – the top manager of Azucena – declared that “we share this star with the whole earth. Not all fans of the League and many did not want us to win, but we share with everyone. Nobody gave us anything.”
This Wednesday, Paz expanded on the aforementioned aspect. He did so in an interview on La Red radio, in Quito, where he stated: “I want to thank all of Ecuador. Although not all fans of the League, we get the support of many Ecuadorians. Everything we achieved, we did modestly. The more we achieve, the more humble we must be. I can’t appreciate everything we felt after winning the Sudamericana, I can only thank all the fans of the league. We finally managed to shake off so much negativity and celebrate at the same time. I have only words of gratitude.”
‘Many did not want us to win, but we share it with everyone’, Esteban Paz, leader of Liga de Quito and the conquest of Sudamericana
After a euphoric celebration by the university team – which included chants with negative allusions directed at Barcelona SC and insults from goalkeeper Adrián Gabbarini – Paz issued a clarification. “Every time I say something, because I claim that we do things and think very differently from some of the leaders of Guayaquil, they treat me as a regionalist. And it’s not like that. But know that I will defend my team whenever I have to.”
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‘I never broke’
Esteban, involved in getting all the international awards of the Quito League and most of the national dedications – as well as his father, Rodrigo Paz Delgado – continued: “The greatest team is the one that every fan says. That rhetoric that seeks to confront is an allegory of disrespect. Although there are people who think about it, we will continue to work to achieve more things for the League and for Ecuador.”
The presenter also commented that “I have never considered leaving the League, despite the attacks I have received, which have unfairly and severely affected my work team and my family. But I never broke down. “My father left a legacy and I had to follow him.”
.@EstebanPazR @LDU_officially: I have never thought about leaving the League, despite the attacks I have received, which have hit unfairly and hard, especially my work team and my family. But I never broke down. My father left a legacy and I had to follow him.
— La Red Ecuador (@LaRed_Ecuador) November 1, 2023
He also referred to the reproaches that intensified when Albi lost all possibility of winning the first stage of the LigaPro tournament in 2023. “Why take a brick from someone who never knew how to lay a brick? Constructive criticism will always be welcome, but we avoid those who want to tear us down and do not let them affect us. We know that sports success pushes you to do much more, because people are no longer satisfied with being second. It is important to never give up, always fight. We have the best work team in Ecuador and we will accept the challenges ahead,” concluded Esteban Paz. (D)
Source: Eluniverso
Tristin is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
