Inside Colombia’s Guadalajara hotel as families, agents and supporters cheer the Cafeteros | OneFootball

Colombia’s Guadalajara team hotel has become a tightly guarded base for families, agents and supporters on the eve of their match against DR Congo, 1-0.

According to L'Équipe, access is policed by about 10 Guardia Nacional officers, plus state police and hotel security.

Based there from 13 to 26 June, Colombia have lodged families, officials, leading agents and club presidents together. About 300 people share the base, with short, scheduled family visits, the latest on Sunday. The proximity reassures players, and some, including Bayern Munich star Luis Diaz, have bought around a dozen FCF packages.

Those packages cover charter and coach travel, accommodation and tickets. Luis Manuel, Mané, Diaz’s moustachioed father, has become the group’s figurehead. Kidnapped by the ELN on 28 October 2023 in Barrancas and freed 12 days later after UN and Catholic Church talks, he now obliges endless selfies.

Players remain sealed off on the 12th of the hotel’s 19 floors, with a private lift, single rooms and a dedicated dining room. Facilities include massage tables, a hyperbaric chamber, cryotherapy, a gym and games tables. Johan Mojica’s brothers even organised a Colombians-only match without seeing him.

Outside, more than 1,000 supporters staged a Banderazo, security tightened and the bar closed. After dark the Cafeteros returned to greet fans from the terrace amid cumbia and fireworks. All now plan to reconvene in Miami, where Colombia face Portugal in the night from Saturday to Sunday at 1.30, French time.

Source: L'Équipe