President-elect of Chile saw São Paulo as the executioner and prefers Maradona to Pelé

In 2017, then-Chilean deputy Gabriel Boric was interviewed by Revista De Cabeza, a digital publication dedicated to football. Used to facing reporters, he was faced with a difficult question: Universidad Católica champion of Libertadores or Beatriz president?

Beatriz Sánchez was the leftist candidate for the presidency in that year’s elections, in a election that would be won by Sebastián Piñera.

“I have no doubts! I prefer… I prefer… No, I can’t say that. If the question were between Chile world champion or the Catholic champion of the Libertadores, the answer would be clear. Let me think for a moment. No, I have no answer to that question,” admitted the deputy.

The response from four years ago sets the tone for what politics is for Gabriel Boric, 35, now Chile’s president-elect. Last Sunday (19), he overcame the ultra-rightist José Antonio Kast and will govern the country for the next four years.

However, even though his role as a student leader and later as a deputy led him to the highest position in the nation, it is not possible to define him without mentioning the club he supports. Before reading Ernesto Laclau, having a rock band or finishing law school, Boric was already a “crusader”, as Catholic fans are called.

“There are three clear things about me: I am magallánico [de Magalhães], leftist and crusader,” he said after his victory in the presidential primaries in July.

Boric became a supporter of the Catholic by inheritance. His family, who settled in Punta Arenas, in the Magallanes region, were delighted with the team from the capital during the team’s tour of the area in the 1950s. This enchantment, which turned into passion, was transmitted by his grandfather and father to little Gabriel.

Boric’s first clear footballing memory is from when he was just seven years old: the 2-0 victory over São Paulo in the return game of the 1993 Copa Libertadores final in Santiago. Insufficient triumph for the Chileans, as the São Paulo club had thrashed 5-1 in the first leg, at Morumbi. The combination of results gave the commanded by Telê Santana the continental bi-championship.

It was at this same time, in the mid-1990s, that he saw Católica in the stadium for the first time and celebrated his first title as a fan, the 1997 Apertura, won against rivals Colo-Colo with a 3-0 win, goals by the Argentines Alberto Acosta, David Bisconti and Ricardo Lunari.

Acosta, the “Beto”, would become the club’s idol and one of Gabriel Boric’s favorite players, who has always shown an appreciation for Argentina’s football (and rock as well). In 2017, when asked on Twitter about who would choose between Maradona and Pelé, he replied “Maradona, no doubts.”

The love for the Universidad Católica never stopped Boric from being critical of the profile of the club’s fans. Its stadium, San Carlos de Apoquindo, is located in an upscale area of ​​Santiago and its fans belong to the elite.

“I tried to look for arguments to defend that the Catholic is not an upper class club, but it is unsustainable. It’s not that the rich took over the club. It was always from the rich. Those who go to the rostrum to see the Catholic are the worst. like wild animals on weekends. I once saw a fan yell at the little flag: ‘I don’t call you son of a bitch… because you’re ‘huacho.’ I felt ashamed,” said Boric.

The term “huacho”, from the Quechua language, designates the animal that leaves its herd and generally refers to children who do not know their father. Unlike orphans, Huachos were born out of wedlock or, most of the time, out of extramarital affairs between married men and their servants or slaves between the 16th and 19th centuries.

Politics and football are not inseparable aspects for Gabriel Boric. However, now that he is president of Chile, he will not have to choose between seeing the left in power or the Universidad Católica conquering Libertadores in an unprecedented way. It is only necessary to combine the missing part with the Catholic.