Ricardo Gareca | Donny Neyra: “I’m your Gareca baby, he’s my old man” [ENTREVISTA] | PERUVIAN FOOTBALL

When he had the ball on his feet, Donny Neyra was a serious problem for the rivals. When he left the ball, it was a big problem for Ricardo Gareca. He was called a drummer for his robust figure, contradictory to his quality and cunning on the court, especially in this Opening of 2008, when with the University Sports jersey and having the “Tiger” as coach, he wore the best of his repertoire. Being overweight, for Donny, was never a problem because he was always on a play ahead thanks to his mental speed.

Almost thirteen years later, already away from professional football, Donny Neyra picks up the phone and does not hesitate to chat comfortably with EL Bocón. He knows us, we know each other. His triumphs and his falls were our covers. There is love, trust. That is why he does not hesitate to talk about everything: what was kept by the pillow, what he always wanted to say and what the mouthpiece likes; the anecdote, the spicy.

Donny Neyra talks about his “father” Gareca, warns that he was the first “son” before Christian Cova; he explains how he played overweight at Sports University and just broke it. The “Can” also narrates the dark but inevitable side of retreat: the dangerous depression. Note also that 30 kilos have been raised by the pandemic and that quarantine is used by selling masks, gloves and even oxygen. There is time to talk about the decline of the Lima Alliance and, of course, to explain where his “Riquelme de Liga” badge comes from.

This is Donny Neyra without filters.

Far from football, what do you do?

4 years ago I left football due to depression, before separating. I wanted to train again, but they don’t give me legs. Now in pandemic, I am engaged in the sale of masks, gloves, oxygen. And, on the staff, I weighed 30 pounds. I am now weighing 111 pounds, unrecognizable. I ate Donny (laughs). In the neighborhood, friends tell me I’ve eaten my oxygen balls, ha, ha, ha.

Is the talent still intact?

The other day I played pichanga with Juan Carlos Mariño and people exploded. I was waiting for a purchase of an oxygen balloon to be completed, I took off someone’s sneakers and played. The thing is very hard, in my neighborhood, we did the day-to-day recourse, a little outside the rubric.

As a footballer, did you play at your ideal weight?

Nothing, I was giving away weight. I got to play with 85, 86 or 87 pounds. I always had weight issues, but I did a lot of leg flexing and studied it. It was still fat, but from chibolo.

Ricardo Gareca was 63 years old.

To me he is a person I value, admire, respect, a myriad of virtues. He is my old man, my father, an important person in my life.

Who called you the “Riquelme de Lligui”?

That his was a joke by Willy Rivas, “Charra” Rabanal, ha, ha, ha.

Did you see the look of Ricardo Gareca at the beginning of the pandemic?

Yes, ha, ha, ha. He looked like a shipwreck. My old man wanted to go unnoticed but his size betrayed him. Always for shaving. She combs her hand, ha, ha, ha.

Any anecdotes with Ricardo Gareca?

There are several. Party of South America I didn’t travel because I was late for two previous workouts. I warned but it didn’t happen to me. The team, the “O”, travels in the morning to Quito. It was very hard. He said to me, ‘I’ve made the decision to take you out.’ The worst part is that he didn’t look me in the face, but in the side. After that, I went out and I cried, I felt him days later, they called me from Quito: ‘Professor says, you’re going to play again.’ But we didn’t talk to each other. One day we were in Tacna, while throwing water in my hair, in concentration, he said to me, “let’s see if we can resume the relationship.” I was all spoiled, I replied, ‘but if you don’t talk to me.’ And he said again, ‘Hey, after the shit … what did you do’, ha, ha, ha. Ricardo, my old man, got the best out of me in football. It marked a lot in my life, it could have been so much better if it stays by my side, but fate didn’t want it.

And was it going to be hard in Velez?

This was said by ‘Malingas’ Jiménez and Raúl Fernández, who loved all three of us, but did not give up.

Is Ricardo loved and respected after taking us to the World Cup?

I remember when his name was recently voiced for selection. I spoke with Néstor Bonillo, another of my friends, I have a lot of affection for him. I called him and asked, ‘Professor, and they’re already in the selection’? ‘No, we’re in it,’ he replied. ‘But what do you expect, silver is what is in the Federation. What happens is that they don’t want to pay them, ‘I told him with a laugh. Whenever he was able to give my little comment, they listened to me.

Do you have competition, another brother in Christian Cova?

I am his first Peruvian baby, I am the eldest, Cova is my little brother, ha, ha, ha. Ricardo has a lot of affection for Christian, respect is mutual.

Do you know him too?

We have friends in common, we get along well. We made video calls. I’m glad he’s happy in Arabia, the rest comes alone.

Does Gareca support Cova in the face of criticism?

He’s like that, he always sees the human side, too. He is very smart. All the guys on the team kill for him. He is a coach who knows how to reach the footballer. In college, even what I played was happy.

There will be several casualties for matches against Bolivia and Venezuela. Wouldn’t those in the MLS come for restrictions in the USA?

We need the boys to have filming. Paolo has rope for a while. Farfán may be inactive, but still breaks his waist. In La Pau, it will be very hard, but there is capacity. Ricardo must have already thought about what to do.

Were you surprised by the decline of Alliance?

A pity for the whole Alliance people. I have a lot of friends, I played here. There were really very good players, but few game ideas, little self-love for the institution. Fate played him wrong. No one will want to play to lose and go down.