Pulga Rodríguez on Radio Gol: “León was born here, Santa Fe’s gift” | OneFootball

Luis Miguel “Pulga” Rodríguez returned to the city of Santa Fe to kick off an intense and emotional schedule of tributes that will culminate in his farewell match. The historic captain, leader of the squad that won Colón’s first and memorable star in the 2021 Copa de la Liga, made his first public appearance in an extensive interview on the classic program “ADN,” broadcast by Radio Gol 96.7 and hosted by journalist Darío Pignata.

In a conversation filled with nostalgia, direct statements, and reflections on the end of his career, the Tucumán-born forward shared his feelings about what promises to be an unforgettable day next Sunday, June 14, at the Brigadier General Estanislao López Stadium.

Mixed feelings at the end of the road

Just days away from officially putting on the red-and-black shirt for his tribute match, held under the slogan “#ElUltimoBaileDelPulga,” the Simoca-born attacker did not hide the mix of emotions going through his mind. With deep honesty, “Pulga” reflected on retirement: “It’s a mix of emotions because, well, everything has a beginning and an end, and honestly, as I’ve always said, football gave me so much. I gave everything to football, and no, all of a sudden I don’t feel anything at all.”

The forward also admitted he is somewhat anxious about Sunday’s event and compared the longevity of his profession with that of other fields: “I heard Caniggia saying, why can’t we be like singers, who are 60 years old and still singing? Well, we don’t have that luxury because if we stop running, we can’t keep up in today’s football, where intensity, GPS, and all that really matter, so football ends earlier than any other sport.”

A great social gesture in difficult times

Aware of the financial hardship affecting ordinary people, Rodríguez emphasized an important measure adopted together with the event’s organizing team, confirming that retirees will be able to enter the stadium completely free of charge. “It was an initiative from the organizers, from the people working behind the scenes on this, and from someone who understands the economic situation we’re all going through and how hard it is nowadays to make it to the end of the month. I’m very happy about it, happy that we can help, that we can contribute, that retirees can be in the stadium, because the idea is for everyone to have a good time and for no one to be left out.” For the Colón idol, the main objective is to make access easier so families can attend together and all fans have the unique opportunity to witness and celebrate alongside the 2021 champions.

The birth of his son León and his eternal bond with Santa Fe

When asked about the deep meaning the capital of Santa Fe holds in his personal and professional life, the forward did not hesitate to describe it as his second home, behind only Tucumán, where he built much of his career. Beyond sporting achievements, finals played, and championships won, “Pulga” revealed the most sacred reason that will bind him forever to the province: “My wife got pregnant here in Santa Fe and decided that our son would be born here in Santa Fe, with doctors from here and everything else. That’s the most wonderful thing Santa Fe gave me, my son León, who was the youngest and who was born here in Santa Fe. Then I lived unforgettable moments, unique moments, I experienced losses in Santa Fe, but I was always happy, my family was happy in the place where we were, and everything was going very well at the club.”

His view of coaches and the memory of Eduardo Domínguez

Football analysis took center stage in the interview, where Rodríguez shared his experiences with coaches of very different profiles. The forward dispelled certain locker-room myths by praising coaches who said little but had extremely clear ideas in their daily work, directly mentioning Ricardo “Ruso” Zielinski and Eduardo Domínguez.“He spoke very little, but day to day, in training, in everything, he gave you all the tools to do everything you had to do afterward. He hardly spoke in the locker room, just what was necessary, and then you went out on the field wanting to eat the opposition alive.”

He made a special point of praising Domínguez, whom he described as a professional deeply devoted to his role, to the point of taking on a fatherly profile with Colón’s young talents such as Facundo Farías, Santiago Pierotti, and Eric Meza. Recalling how Domínguez’s coaching staff imposed strict limits to significantly boost their professional careers, he explained: “If he sees that someone has potential, like I saw at Colón, he calls him in the afternoon, calls him at another time… he is very dedicated and committed to the role of coach, and I think sometimes he even takes on the role of a father. If he sees a kid has potential and the kid isn’t taking care of himself… he always tries to help him, to advise him. He didn’t reward them for doing things wrong, quite the opposite, he punished them, and that helped them grow a lot more to be where they are today.”

The funny story of his departure from Atlético Tucumán in 2019

One of the most lighthearted moments of the radio conversation came when the idol recalled the intense negotiations that led to his arrival at the Santa Fe club at the beginning of 2019, after a direct call from Colón’s then-president, José Vignati, whose sporting project immediately won him over. To break the deadlock caused by obstacles from the Tucumán club’s leadership and to make his position clear, “Pulga” showed up at the club’s training ground on a Saturday morning, unexpectedly took his boots, sneakers, and personal belongings out of the locker room, and went home without yet having signed anything with the Sabalero, prompting an audio message from the equipment manager warning about his departure to go viral.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.