How far are those years in which Pumas he fought for the title regularly. In the memory of its millions of fans come the images of the Bicampeonato of 2004 with Hugo Sánchez as a coach and players like Sergio Bernal, Joaquín Beltrán, Kikín Fonseca and couple Lopez, The latter one of the most charismatic who chose to return to this club despite receiving one almost ridiculous economic supply.
Chatting on the podcast Very Out of Place next to the Werevertumorro, José Luis López remembered that by problems of its father with a manager it had to make debut in First with the Club Puebla, although shortly after return to the National University, But with a you are far from what was expected.
“I made my debut with Pobla in Primera thanks to Miguel Mejía Baró, then Pumas returned to him and he asked me for the team, even though they offered me nothing financially. Pobla offered me a lot more to stay, to say that if they gave me 200 pesos there, Pumas would give me 20 cents. I really didn’t care about the money because it was the Pumas, my father played there for 10 years, “the former player explained, then gave clues as to how much they paid Pumas on his return.
“My first salary with them was 2 thousand pesos when I was in Second, from there I went to Puebla winning a little more and on the return to Pumas, already to play in First, they gave me double, only this extra “, he added.
‘Hugo Sánchez treated us like Real Madrid’
With this unencouraging experience in monetary, the couple then he lived the opposite side of the coin with the hiring Hugo Sánchez as a coach, who from day one promised to “treat them like Real Madrid,” so luxuries, awards, and incentives were a daily thing.
“He came to Pumas and the first thing he told us was, ‘I’m going to treat you like I was treated at Real Madrid, like kings’. He really gave us everything, we lived in another world, in the best hotels and restaurants. You just reached out and they gave you everything you wanted, Was the moment when Arturo Elías Ayub arrived at the board, Juan Ramón de la Font as rector. The mentality of all of them was the difference in how it was handled before they arrived at the club, “he said.
“Of course it encouraged us all, the footballers won awards or bonuses for goals. At that time you won a game and in the locker room there were boxes with laptops, mobiles and consoles for each, we had never experienced this. The utileros also played, the whole squad and not just those who played. With that they motivated us, they were so smart that they knew how to get along with them. “
Those who ‘did the tactics’ to Hugo at Pumas
For years it has been said that Sergio Egea and Mario Carrillo they were the true geniuses of tactics in the Pumas Two-time champions of 2004, Since Hugol was a motivator, but not a capable strategist on the blackboard.
“Hugo Sánchez is a very good coach, as a motivator he is excellent and he is so smart that he knows how to surround himself with people who help him and I’m not just talking about assistants, also people off the track who were his advisors. Here was Mario Carrillo in the stands always and he told him the tactical things, but not only him, there were many who reported track details to him and Hugo saw it and corrected it, this is a big secret of a winner like him, ”Lopez said.