☝️A captain’s advice: "Pepe" Rojas urges Assadi to stay | OneFootball

The potential departure of Lucas Assadi from Universidad de Chile is the hot topic at the Centro Deportivo Azul. With concrete interest from clubs like Jorge Sampaoli's Atlético Mineiro and Israel's Maccabi Haifa, a respected voice from the club has stepped forward to state his position: José "Pepe" Rojas.

The historic captain and Sudamericana champion was blunt in expressing that he prefers to see the young 22-year-old talent consolidating himself in the country before making the leap abroad. “I would like to see him play for a full year, gain minutes, and make mistakes. If his decision is to stay, for me, it is extraordinary,” Rojas declared in a conversation with Cooperativa Deportes.

A Key Piece for the 2026 Scheme

Assadi comes from a breakthrough 2025, where he recorded 11 goals and 6 assists in 30 matches, including a goal in the 3-0 victory over Colo Colo in the Super Cup. His influence in the offensive play has made him the most valuable asset of the "U", creating a dilemma between the economic need for a sale and the sporting desire to keep him.

Although the player has more than enough potential to succeed abroad, the advice from the former defender points to football maturity. For now, the "10" from Puente Alto remains integrated with the squad that will travel to Lima to face Universitario, while the management evaluates whether the international offers meet the club's high expectations.

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

📸 JAVIER TORRES - AFP or licensors