2023-08-07 22:26:54
Diego Mayora, scorer for Sport Loreto who was called up by Ricardo Gareca to the Peruvian team and is now playing in the Copa Peru with the hope of returning to League 1. (Photo: Jesús Alcina)
Peru is a country recognized for its diversity in all areas and soccer is no exception. There are players from different parts, whether from the mountains, coast and jungle. Athletes who excelled in the first division, now known as Liga 1, emerged from this last region. One of them is Diego Armando Mayora Rengifo, born in Pucallpa, who made a name for himself through goals.
The story of ‘Macocho’ began at the San Martin University, where he arrived at the age of 15 and finished training as a player. However, he gained notoriety in the Copa Perú, with his hometown club, Sport Loreto. There, in his habitat, he was a goalscorer, scoring close to 50 goals in a single season, and achieved the long-awaited promotion to professional football in 2014.
A year later he went to Unión Comercio and reached his best version as a scorer. He celebrated 19 times, placing himself at the top of the championship’s top scorer table. This allowed him to emigrate to Argentina and be called up to the Peruvian team, even the coach Ricardo Gareca cataloged him as the successor to Paolo Guerrero.
He was unable to confirm his good moment in Colón and returned to Peruvian football in search of opportunities. He signed for Municipal and scored 11 goals. It seemed that he would return to the level shown previously, but, the bad decisions outside the courts, were reflected in his physical condition, adjudicating criticism for his weight. He disappeared from the radar. The data shows that his last campaign in the top flight was in 2019.
Almost half a decade has passed and his illusion of returning to League 1 is still latent. This is confirmed by Diego Mayora, in an exclusive interview for Infobae Peru. The Pucallpino seeks to relaunch his career where he shone long ago: male soccer. He currently plays for Sport Aurora de Pusi and has already reaped his first achievement: winning the provincial league.
The Peruvian striker told details regarding his career, the offers from Alianza Lima and Universitario, why he was not consolidated in Argentina, his relationship with Ricardo Gareca and the comparison with Paolo Guerrero.
Diego Mayora won the Provincial League with Sport Aurora de Pusi. (instagram)
– Is your name, Diego Armando, because of ‘Pelusa’?
I think my dad liked how Diego played, that’s why he put me like that.
– Tell us a little regarding your beginnings in soccer. What club did you form?
I started in San Martín, I had not yet played Copa Perú, I went from Pucallpa to Lima for the Peruvian under 15 team, I had the opportunity to stay and I was in San Martín until 2012. There I made minors, they promoted me to the sub 20, reserve and then first.
– Why are you leaving San Martín to play Copa Peru?
I’m leaving due to lack of opportunities. At that time, San Martín invested a lot in foreigners, brought in very good players and there were no opportunities. I’m going to Bancos, a team from Pucallpa, and in 2013 I relapsed to Sport Loreto.
– How did it go with the ‘dean’?
In 2013 things didn’t go well for us, we were eliminated in the quarterfinals once morest Unión Huaral, but the president invested for the following year. The teacher José Ramírez arrived and we were champions of the Copa Peru.
Diego Mayora was proclaimed champion of the Peru Cup with Sport Loreto (Andina).
– What sensations generated you to achieve the promotion?
It is the best thing that can happen to a person, to win with the team of his city. From the beginning of the season we set that goal and we achieved it with a lot of effort. We took Pucallpa to professional soccer following 18 years.
– At that time you were compared to Cristiano Ronaldo for the number of goals you scored, did you hear that news?
I did listen to it, thank God I was able to score many goals, they even called me from professional clubs, but I wanted to debut with the team from my city and I renewed for two more years.
– In your first season in the top flight you scored 9 goals with Sport Loreto, but in the next season you doubled that record with the Unión Comercio shirt, what factors influenced?
The confidence of the president. I came to Comercio because of him and not because of the coach, who was Walter Aristizábal. That year Cristian Bogado arrived, it was a bit complicated, he had not been playing the first dates and I spoke with the president to go to Sport Loreto on loan and play second. He told me no, that he believes me and that I might fight him. He made me open my eyes, I started training, dieting and I earned ownership through effort and goals.
Diego Mayora’s goals with Unión Comercio. (Youtube)
– Thanks to your performance with the ‘powerful of Alto Mayo’, you received many offers…
I had quite a few calls. Alianza, Real Garcilaso and other provincial teams called me. I had an offer from China, but the best option was to go to Argentina. It was my dream to play there because they live football a lot.
– Finally, you signed for Colón of the Argentine Professional League. Why did you only play one match at that club?
My intention was to play there, but I don’t think it was going to Colón because it was embargoed, even to hire I had to receive permission from a prosecutor. There were a lot of problems at that time, the club was coming out of the embargo, I didn’t get paid on time, a lot happened, that’s why I decided to return to Peru. Alianza asked for my loan, but I ended up going to Municipal.
Diego Mayora signed for Colón at the age of 24.
– In 2016 you received your first call to the Peruvian national team. What do you remember of that achievement?
I had the opportunity to be with the greatest players in Peru like Paolo Guerrero, Yoshimar Yotún and Christian Cueva. It was a unique experience. The teacher Ricardo talked to me a lot, he quoted me to Videna, he measured my body fat and did work. The national team is the most beautiful thing that can happen to a footballer.
– How were the talks with Ricardo Gareca?
The teacher always called you to his office or room to talk personally. He asked me many things because he was also a center forward. He put the videos, he made me see the flaws and the good that he was doing. That’s what’s important. He left a legacy in Peru for being a good coach and a good person.
– The ‘Tiger’ cataloged you as the successor of Paolo Guerrero…
Yes, I think that Paolo is a benchmark in Peruvian soccer, one followed him and learned from him, I was able to fight him. When I was called up, Paolo and Raúl Ruidíaz were in the prime of their careers, so I didn’t have many opportunities. If they had been injured, I think the situation would have been totally different for me. This is football, one day you are up and the other down, the important thing is to continue.
Diego Mayora was unable to play an official match with Peru, but was called up for the South American Qualifiers.
– At the time they criticized you for your weight, did it affect you?
Everyone has their way of playing. Despite the fact that he was gaining weight, he was screwed with pressure, he recovered balls and always scored goals. That is the most important thing for a striker. He didn’t have to worry me. You have to know how to take criticism from whoever comes from it. Some criticize and never touched a soccer ball. The criticisms are to improve. Now I am taking it seriously, for the next year they are going to see a different Diego Mayora, regarding the issue of weight and many other things.
– In 2018, you were linked to Universitario. Did you have the opportunity to continue your career at the Ate club?
After Garcilaso, I had many chances to go to the ‘U’, everything was on track, to go and train. It did not happen because there was a clause with Garcilaso. I was very close to playing in the ‘U’, it would have been a dream to play in a big team.
– Do you regret anything?
Repenting is for cowards. I assume the bad things I did in my career, assuming it is for men, I made myself show for my effort and desire to improve myself, not stealing from anyone, that makes me very happy.
– What is your short-term goal to meet?
If I keep trying, I think beautiful things are coming for me. Here in Juliaca I already noticed myself, I am scoring many goals, I made my team champion for the first time in a provincial cup, they are playing a departmental cup for the first time. God through that I continue to do well and can continue to achieve important things. Next year I want to play in League 1.
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