They were revolutionary times in Colombia.
Times for great changes to be acknowledged internationally.
I remember when we went to Europe in 1988, and even at the 1990 World Cup in Italy – most of the time, during press conferences, we would have to talk about Pablo Escobar.
The attacks, drug trafficking. No one asked about football. That was when we came up with a new style of play.
I had been an international player for the Colombia national team. That’s why I was so familiar with the project.
Until then, our game strategy had been to neutralise our opponent. At the end of every game we were worn out from running – in tears, almost, and feeling as if we had not really played.
“We are going to play football,” I told the players. “We are going to search for order, so that we can disrupt that order once we are in control of the ball.”
Somehow, we then turned football into a vehicle for social identity.