Colón to honour Pedro Pasculli with a mural, 40 years after Mexico '86 | OneFootball

By Darío Pignata

Those who don’t know where they come from may never know where they are going. History must be known and lived, but it must also be kept alive, honored, and passed on to future generations.

Forty years after lifting the FIFA World Cup alongside Diego Armando Maradona at Mexico ’86, Colón will pay a long-overdue (better late than never), well-deserved, and unquestionable tribute to Pedro Pablo Pasculli, a true product of the Centenario neighborhood, who carried the name “Colón de Santa Fe” and his roots with him as a world champion.

The Culture, History, and Museum Subcommittee of Club Atlético Colón, which has long been promoting the club’s Official Museum and Archive and is chaired by Diego Meloni, will “settle that debt” on behalf of the entire institution.

He arrived at Colón back in 1977. Photo: courtesy of Diego Meloni.

Specifically, with Pedro Pablo Pasculli’s own approval (he moved to Europe and never returned), the world champion will have a mega mural covering one of the entrances to the Elephant Graveyard. According to what Darío Pignata learned for Radio Gol, it will be on the chamfered corner at the end of the east section: Rodríguez Peña and Libertad.

It will be approximately 12 meters wide by 4 meters high. “Our idea is to have it ready by the end of August. It will be a sequence of images from his time in the youth divisions, the club’s first team, and obviously, since it marks 40 years, a large part will be dedicated to Mexico ’86.” The goal is to showcase his beautiful story: from the Centenario neighborhood and Colón to the world.

“The mural has his support and backing; we’re doing it together with the Subcommittee, members of the Sabalero mural-painting group, the ‘Pampa’ Gambier supporters’ group, and artist Oscar Falomir, the same one who painted Diego outside the East Stand,” they explain.

“Likewise, we are in talks with the City Council and the Municipality itself to make some improvements to the corner; in fact, to create a small promenade so people can sit and drink mate in front of the mural. That’s something the neighbors have been asking for,” they add.

The commentators back then referred to him as “PPP,” Pedro Pablo Pasculli. He appeared at Colón around 1977. He didn’t play much. He stayed until 1980, when he was transferred to Argentinos Juniors. But in reality, Pedrito played 24 matches for Colón and flourished at that Argentinos Juniors side with Maradona, brilliant at the time and with Diego at a sublime level, before that stopover — and a champion’s step — at Boca on the way to success in Europe. Pedrito Pasculli was born in Centenario, grew up at Colón, and proudly remembers those moments from his childhood and youth, when the stadium was very different.

“I remember Colón’s auxiliary field, which was dirt and where there is now a parking lot. That’s where I started playing and scoring goals when I was a kid. And I always remember my Centenario neighborhood. I’m proud to have grown up in that neighborhood and to have come through the youth ranks at Colón. I would really like to come back someday and serve Colón,” he said a few years ago in an interview with colleague Emi Nunia.

Forty years after being crowned world champion with the Argentina national team.

“I can never forget those who helped me when I was nobody. ‘Gringo’ Zuliani is one of them, along with ‘Patón’ Aguirre. He helped me a lot, and my brothers too. The beginnings weren’t easy; I was born into a very humble family in the Centenario neighborhood. I will always be grateful to Carlos for everything he taught me,” he explained.

Now, 40 years after becoming world champion with Argentina under Carlos Salvador Bilardo and Diego Armando Maradona at Mexico ’86, Colón will pay tribute, honor, and recognition to someone who came from the humblest roots of the Centenario neighborhood and carried the club crest in his Sabalero blood to the place every footballer dreams of reaching.

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