‘The elimination of Barcelona SC in the Copa Libertadores is a failure in the economic aspect, but not in football,’ says Marcelo Hurtado

Marcelo Hurtado was national champion with Barcelona in 1989 and 1991 and was part of the brilliant yellow squad that qualified for the 1990 Copa Libertadores final (a squad in which most of the footballers were born in the country, unlike the current group, that among foreigners and nationalized by relevant services to the homeland came to have, against América Mineiro last Tuesday, eight players born abroad).

For the ex-winger from Manabi, the elimination of the canaries in the third round of the preliminary phase, which means not entering the group phase of the Libertadores, has to do with the absence of a goal.

‘not enough’

“Barcelona did not have the sharp aim for this match against the Brazilians. He lacked offensive weight above. This is evident because in the six duels played in the 2022 Cup only Carlos Garcés and Gonzalo Mastriani scored a goal. This deficiency must be corrected on the fly to play the Copa Sudamericana. With them (Garcés and Mastriani) it can reach Barcelona SC for the LigaPro, but not for the Cup,” Hurtado said in a conversation with EL UNIVERSO.

To the Colorado, an architect by profession, was asked if being left out of the Libertadores can be taken as a failure of Barcelona. This he replied: “I don’t see it as a failure at a football level because the team was very compact. He only received one goal (in the entire preliminary phase), he was poised, despite the change in coach. The ball did not go in (against América Mineiro) and that will be the subject of another analysis”.

‘Economic failure’

Hurtado made a clarification about what happened to Barcelona, ​​but focused on another aspect: “On an economic level, it is a failure (the elimination) because by not entering the group stage of the Libertadores they lose $3 million and right now of crisis due to the pandemic and debts of the club, it is a hard blow ”.

Hurtado, who was also a member of Emelec, Filanbanco and Delfín, gave suggestions on what Barcelona should do now: “Elimination must be assumed quickly, because just around the corner the team must prepare for the match for the national championship against Mushuc Runa, in the Sierra”.

He added: “It must be that way because at this point, with the season just starting, there is not a huge wear and tear as there usually is in October or November. You have to strengthen yourself in the emotional part in training and in the locker room because the good atmosphere is reflected on the field. It happened in my time; eliminations hurt, but you have to move on”.

For Hurtado, those led by Jorge Célico have to concentrate for now on the domestic tournament. “We have to take advantage of the good moment that Barcelona is experiencing in the national championship, where it is the leader with a perfect score (12 units. In this contest it has shown that it has a competitive team,” he concluded. (D)