Néstor Lorenzo se refirió a la despedida oficial de Mario Alberto Yepes: “Se merecía este homenaje”

On the afternoon of Saturday, December 20, a tribute match was held for Mario Alberto Yepes, a central defender and captain of the Colombian national team who, although he retired from professional football in 2016, organized a special event featuring several legends of South American football, along with former players from the Colombian national team that participated in Brazil 2014, to formally bid farewell to the pitches.

The match, held at the Pascual Guerrero Stadium in Cali, brought together figures from the Colombian national team such as Carlos ‘el Pibe’ Valderrama, René Higuita, Faustino Asprilla, Radamel Falcao García, Jackson Martínez, Carlos Sánchez, and Juan Pablo Ángel, alongside his former Deportivo Cali teammate Gerardo Bedoya. Two international stars were also present: Argentine Javier Saviola, with whom he played at River Plate, and Frenchman David Trezeguet, whom he faced numerous times in clubs and international matches.

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National coach Néstor Lorenzo attended the event, having had the honor of coaching Yepes in his last match. In statements to the El País newspaper, the Argentine praised how both the city and his teammates on the field paid this final tribute.

“I’m happy to be part of such an important event. He’s a player who has given so much to Colombia, a captain from the heart. I think he deserved this tribute, and the crowd responded very well,” he stated.

Lorenzo, who qualified Colombia for the World Cup set to take place next year in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, and was instrumental in the runner-up finish at the Copa América in 2024, added that the guests were essential in giving the event its stature. “To all the legends who came, from René ‘Pibe’ to Falcao. I’m very pleased to see the quality of everyone,” he indicated.

Before the match, Yepes spoke with Espn, naming and thanking the former players invited to the tribute match: “Thanks to ‘El Pibe’ (Valderrama) for being here, one of my childhood idols, thanks to Javier (Saviola), world U-20 champion, Barcelona player, Monaco, a friend I met at River, and to world champion David Trezeguet whom I faced many times and with whom I have had a very close friendship and value.”

When asked about what it meant to wear the captain’s armband both in the Colombian national team and in most of the clubs he played for, he said: “It’s a pride, it’s a responsibility, representing not just your beliefs and values, but your entire country. Being captain of the national team is something that fills you with pride and satisfaction.”

Regarding his retirement moment, Yepes admitted that “I played until I was 40, and I thought I was preparing for my retirement two years in advance, but in the end, none of us are ever truly ready to retire completely. Some manage it; I don’t know how they do it. Personally, I’m still very connected to football, which has helped me stay focused on football.”

The Valle del Cauca native acknowledged that the routine of being a footballer still haunted him after he departed the field. “The day after my retirement, I woke up at six in the morning because I thought I had to go train. No matter how much you prepare, you never really leave football, and that’s why moments like these, with events like this, are so emotional, reliving them, remembering those days as footballers with friends, being able to share meals together… That’s what I miss the most, what I experienced in the locker room, more than just playing, that’s what I miss most about football, the concentration periods, but we’ve been getting used to it,” he concluded.