Ricardo Gareca was booed by Peruvian fans in his debut with Chile in the Copa América

This Friday Peru and Chile closed the first round of group A of the Copa América 2024. The match ended with a rough 0-0 draw between the two South American teams.

This match had several extra factors that added excitement despite the slow development seen on the field. And the Peruvian team was faced with an old acquaintance, Ricardo Gareca, who until 2022 was on the other side of the road directing the Inca team.

This reunion seems to have been unpleasant for the “Tiger”. Well, the Argentine strategist ended up getting boos from the Peruvian fans present at the AT&T Stadium in Texas.

And in the international broadcast you could hear how the thousands of Peruvians present at the Arlington venue booed their former coach just before the internal voice of the stadium named him after the Chilean lineup.

And to understand the anger of Peruvians there is a powerful context. And the fact is that Peru and Chile had political conflicts in the past and both faced each other in the Pacific War, so Gareca’s departure to the Chilean bench generated discomfort among the Peruvian fans.

Gareca led Peru from 2015 to 2022 and during that period he qualified the team for the first time in the World Cup after 36 years. He also reached the final of the 2019 Copa América, which he lost to Brazil.

After leaving the Inca team, the Argentine coach had a sabbatical year before taking the reins of Vélez Sarsfield of Argentina. Team where he barely managed 12 games.

Since January 2024, the “Tiger”, as he is often nicknamed, took the bench of the Chilean team and this debut in the Copa América was also Gareca’s debut as a coach in an official competition. Well, he had only directed three previous friendlies.

For now, Gareca will have to turn the page and face the next Copa América match with Chile, which will be against the current champion Argentina at MetLife Stadium in the city of New Jersey.

Keep reading:
· Claudio Bravo became the oldest footballer to play in a Copa América
· Brazilians Edina Alves and Neuza Back are the first women on the refereeing team in a Copa América game
· Richard Ríos, the Colombian jewel that emerged from futsal, played in the Liga MX and can shine in the Copa América