2023-12-23 09:45:35
Born as an evolution of the Intercontinental Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup It was born in 2000, with the intention of including all confederations and further globalizing soccer tournaments. In the competition, the Chilean Cristian Montecinos He put his name in history and to this day, he is remembered in a big way.
The first edition of the aforementioned tournament It was held in Brazil and there, eight representative teams met from Europe, South America, Africa, Asia, North and Central America, and Oceania.
In group A was the guest Real Madrid, Al-Nassr (Saudi Arabia), Corinthians (host and Brazilian champion) and Raja Casablancawhich won the African Champions League title.
Meanwhile, Montecinos and Necaxa from Mexico participated in the ‘Mundialito’ after winning the CONCACAF Champions League (Concachampions), sharing a place in group B with other champions: Manchester United (Champions League, 1999), Vasco da Gama (Libertators Cup), and South Melbourne (Oceania Champions League).
Cristian Montecinos: genius and figure against Manchester United
“It was the first edition of the Club World Cup, that set an important precedent at the international level, it was not known what the future would hold and I was part of history. It was an honor to participate, to be the first Chilean and also to reach an important stage with Necaxa, team from which they did not expect an impressive tournament”, Montecinos detailed in dialogue with BBCL.
The first rival was a world power: the Manchester United. Of course, those directed Raul Arias They were not afraid and from the first minute, They played as equals against the English giant.
“Personally, I think they came in a little confident and thought they were going to win easily, but we came in very focused. In fact, We should have beaten Manchester, but we were unlucky that (Alex) Aguinaga missed a penalty in the second half, they did it to me,” lamented the former goalscorer.
The concrete thing is that despite the 1-1 – which Ferguson’s team sealed ten minutes from the end – Cristian Montecinos put his name in the history of Necaxa with a great goal from a free kick at 14′surprising everyone and even his own teammates.
“I was recently in Mexico with Alex Aguinaga and we remember that in the game I went ahead because he wanted to hit him, but I knew he was going to score the goal., he had great confidence. I hit him and he was marking busy, To this day he remembers and laughs. She always told me that if I failed, she was going to catch me like crazy. (sic.)”.
“Then I replied that I gave him a little gift, because they gave me the penalty and he left… We ended up laughing a lot more, it’s an anecdote and it was nice, it gave us a lot of confidence,” said ‘Pelado’ between laughs.
Given the significance of his goal, the Chilean became permanently recognized despite other important achievements, for example, being champion with Santos Laguna in 1996achieving a title for the first time in the team’s history.
“Beyond that, yes or yes they remember the goal against United. Looking at it now, today playing with Manchester does not have the same dimension as before, in those years they were champions of everything, with world figures and we played better than them. Was a before and after for me and Necaxawhich ended the decade being the most important team in Mexican soccer”, he detailed.
Another element of the anecdote, not far from going unnoticed, was his iconic haircut. In his hair, the former La Roja team player he wore a red lightning bolt on his headin reference to the nickname of the club founded in Mexico City.
The iconic look originated hours before his memorable goal. “He same day we played with ManchesterIn the morning, my roommate told me Andres Scotti, if I dared to do something crazy for the party. I said yes, I went down to a room downstairs in the hotel and I asked the girl who was with a group of stylists if they could dye my hair with a lightning bolt.“, he said.
“I brought him a photo of the shirt so he could They saw the lightning wave and they did it to me, extraordinary. My classmates said he was crazy, I said: ‘If I score a goal today I will become famous worldwide and if I play badly they will egg me forever‘”, he added.
Cristian Montecinos (Necaxa) receives the mark from Mikaël Silvestre (Manchester United)
Cristian Montecinos, in the history of Necaxa… and United
Within the legendary Necaxa-Manchester of 2000, the Talca native admitted that he had a ‘thorn in his side’: ask a star of the ‘Red Devils’ for a shirt. On the contrary, it was Montecinos the one who gave his.
“They asked me directly from Manchester United. There was a ceremony in which I had to go to a hotel room, a club leader was there and also Alex Ferguson. I gave him my signed shirt and we took photos, my shirt went to the club museum“, confessed the former player of Deportes Temuco, Unión Española and Colo Colo, among others.
Alex Ferguson receives the shirt from Cristián Montecinos
As seen in the image, the legendary coach and the national star shared a special moment in Brazil. The clipping from the Mexican newspaper Esto stated that Sir Alex Ferguson “I was very grateful and that this shirt will be the first of a Mexican team to be found in the museum (Old Trafford).“.
Currently, the shirt is still in England. “It was a tremendous joy to achieve something beautiful in such a short time and The fact that they asked me for my shirt was a compliment. I hope to go see it at some point.”said Montecinos.
Back in 2000, the tall attacker from Chile was part of the historic Club Necaxa team that won the third place in the Club World Cup of the same year, after beating Real Madrid on penalties. At the meeting, the remembered footballer scored two goals which could have been three, given that he missed a penalty against South Melbourne (yes, he did the first one).
Formation-of-Necaxa-after-getting-third-place-in-the-World-Club-2000
Between memories and the present: goal-scoring nose in the neighborhood and love for ‘Conce’
Aware of his great memories in Mexico and throughout his career as a soccer player, the retired forward today enjoys sharing moments with his family, especially his young children and also Joaquinhis son and Querétaro player.
Of course, while he rests in Villarrica, time does not stop him when it comes to dressing up again to play again for the team he loves: Sports Concepción.
On December 12, the remembered star traveled to the city of Penquista to defend the team ‘Golden Years’ of lilacswho beat Juventud Kennedy 2-0.
“I gave myself the pleasure of going to play again, People recognize me, they love me. That day the stadium was full, they were waiting to take photos with me and that is also part of what I gave for the club. We went through many difficult moments and I have a lot of affection for the club, its mentality is different and perhaps in Talca they don’t value it, but The greatest recognition I have is that of the people of Concepción“said an excited Cristián Montecinos.
Cristián Montecinos after representing Deportes Concepción in amateur soccer (Sweat, Neighborhood & Passion)
Are you still waiting for the Conce? “I have a notion of what is happening, The truth would be better to see them in another instance. I hope the people who arrived can get them out of a place where they shouldn’t be, but I know that It is not easy and it is an important economic sacrifice to be in the Second Division“, he confessed.
“The last four or five years have been very strange and they have suffered a lot. Now everything starts again and we have to try to make a good team to achieve promotion, It is no use for Conce to come third or fourth, going alone to participate is a failure. It has to go up“complemented the former León de Collao scorer, the shirt with which he scored 42 goals in 82 games.
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