After several sports journalists were fired from ESPN, Felipe Bianchi launched a powerful reflection on how soccer programs have been filled with ex-soccer players and coaches.
“They have become true offices of the industry, headed by ex-detés and ex-players, often involved in the business of club leaders and representatives,” was one of the journalist’s statements.
Faced with these statements, the communicator found a heavyweight ally: Leonardo “Pollo” Véliz, who attacked current panelists such as Mauricio Pinilla, Jorge Valdivia, Johnny Herrera and José Luis Villanueva.
“I find the reason,” the former striker told redgoalregarding how the “supervisory” role of sports journalism is weakened with this type of decision.
In fact, “I cannot believe that in this country we have a (Mauricio) Pinilla or a (Jorge) Valdivia as referents of opinion; what’s more, he remarked, “Let’s see what he’s into: with Angie Alvarado, with the ‘Geisha’”.
However, they were not the only ones he attacked, but with those who have been around for longer
“There are others who have been nothing in football like Johnny Herrera and (José Luis) Villanueva,” he launched. “And I’m not just talking regarding what they say, but also how they say it, because they don’t modulate well.”
According to his criteria, “there is a disproportion in sports journalism, only by rating, but rating of what?” he said. “I don’t listen to them because everything they say is empty”, since “the former players don’t tell me anything”.
few were saved
Of course, he did not reserve the praise he had: “The only one who speaks well and the film is clear, but is quiet as a chick, is (Jean) Beausejour,” he launched. Also, he stressed that “(Rodrigo) Goldberg has prepared well, but there are others.”
Even the former coach of La Roja sub-20 was encouraged to say: “Even (Gary) Medel or (Arturo) Vidal can be commentators, but they have not been prepared for anything, neither to speak well, nor to have rich vocabulary or in knowledge.
Lastly, regarding the causes of this phenomenon, he concluded: “The representatives are involved everywhere, and they include these ex-soccer players so that they go praising players from their corrals and negotiated.”
