Guayas football has been announcing for some time now, maybe more than a year, that it is in complete decline in all aspects. For example, in the political-electoral issue, it was really embarrassing to see presidential positions being contested in the courts (ordinary judicial system) both in Emelec and now in Barcelona SC. Second, the results on the field were disastrous.

Play well or win? It’s a controversy

They lost their place in the first B (with Búhos, formerly Guayaquil Sport) and no Guayas team made it out of the second category. From Serie B, no one was promoted (Nueve de Octubre) to A to replace Guayaquil City, affected by the process of decay and very bad in football terms.

And things continue with Emelec, with a very unlucky season. It has a new leadership that made serious mistakes, such as losing important players (Sebastián Rodríguez, Dixon Arroyo, Alejandro Cabeza) and bringing in players with bad behavior (Michael Carcelén, Miller Bolaños, Bryan Angulo), who ended up stabbing this electric club.

World Cup 2030: disappointed illusions

The best that Emelec has achieved is a coach (Hernán Torres) who at least has character. He was firm and withstood the demands of managers and businessmen who, knowing that there were footballers who had committed disciplinary offences, pressured him to play. Torres noted how he addresses misbehavior issues. From there, in terms of football, growth was delayed and Emelec remained in the gray zone.

Emelec does not convince anyone, his campaign was terrible. They have not qualified for any international tournament and have included very low level foreign players and will have to completely restructure the squad. I wonder: with what money will the management of the electric power industry be able to do this?

Silence is an accomplice in our football

Barcelona SC is another topic. It turned out that they are satisfied with what was done this year. I have heard the opinions of important Canarian footballers who assure that in 2023 they achieved the results they expected, because they qualified for the group stage of the Copa Libertadores 2024. For God’s sake! If this is a measure of what Barcelona SC wants, then the results are clear.

Barcelona SC would have a better position for two or three results. But those good results did not materialize because the team did not play well in the second phase. Coach Diego López did not live up to what was expected of him. This Uruguayan believes in a very direct way of playing, without elaboration, but Damián Díaz, who is disobedient, plays football the way he wants, not as the coach tells him.

I hope Barcelona solve their selection problem because I know, although I have not been able to officially verify it, that DT López, who failed, would have a clause that would see him break his contract with the new management (which expires in June 2024). If so, Barcelona should strive for a much more purposeful coach, as López is not.

In other respects, Guayas’ bad moment comes because he is not represented in the important instances of Ecuadorian football. It lost the hegemony it had before with the strong Football Association, which advertised football in our region at congresses. Furthermore, Guayas contributes little to the youth problem; With one or two calling them to the Tricolor they are happy. Guayas used to be a source of strength for the national teams of the lower categories.

All these symptoms leave a very clear diagnosis: something is being done wrong in Guayas, we have no teams among the finalists, and those places belong to two teams from Quito, with great rights. A lot of things in provincial football need to be reexamined, but from the depth, not from the surface.

From 2012 to 2017, championships were won, but there was a lack of vision, novice leaders, managers who could not put together competitive teams, business influence weighed when hiring players, and institutional disorganization was present. There is no representation in the Ecuadorian Football Association, in the Pro League or in the Referee Commission and there is no weight in decision-making.

The decline is reflected in statistics and in everything that can be analyzed: youth championships, senior championships, etc. Guayas football is in permanent decline. (OR)