Would you like to play sports to stay active and have a fun time? Then this interests you: Conecta is the option for you, you can share unforgettable experiences with your family and friends. We have at your disposal the best benefits, promotions and discounts through our network of allies, including SUPERGOL, where you can access preferential prices to synthetic Football 5 and 8 courts in Bogotá.
We know you want to have fun, and despite not pretending to become an expert, you still want to take football very seriously. We were talking with Chonto Herrera and we asked him some questions. After all, what better advisor than a professional!
Do you know him?
Let's see. Luis Fernando Herrera Arango (known as El Chonto Herrera) is a former football player born in Medellin in 1962, who played as winger, and who currently serves as football coach. He is considered one of the great icons of Colombian football for having played the Italy ’90 and USA ’94 World Cups, the France ’98 World Cup qualifiers, and the Copa América in 1987, 1989, 1991 and 1993.
The interview…
Chonto, what does football stir in you?
CH- Football is my life. It means a lot to me. I started playing from a very young age and I always did it with a lot of love given the conditions that God gave me to play this beautiful sport that is football. I was given the opportunity to play it my whole life.
If you could choose a single highlight in your career for people to remember, what would it be?
CH- My performance as an athlete was quite consistent, but I think it would be my professional debut in 1981, which marked me for a lifetime. Being able to fulfill the dream I had as a child to play as a professional. It was with Deportivo Independiente Medellín in a bracket in the city of Medellín. I was 18 years old.
What do you currently do?
CH- I am a professional coach. Until recently I was coaching Atlético Huila in the First Division.
Who can play football?
CH- Anyone who likes sport, if they have conditions and capabilities, they can play without any problem, both men and women.
From what age can you practice it?
CH- I started at age 9, I think, but today they start at 4 or 5 years old. First recreational and then professional.
What is the ideal training apparel?
CH- A set or uniform with shorts, socks, t-shirt and appropriate shoes. Football boots or sneakers.
When are football boots or sneakers used?
CH- Sneakers are used for physical work, and football boots are used to train and play.
What should you eat before training?
CH- If you train very early, you should eat a light breakfast with juice, fruits, cereal and protein, such as an egg. It’s important to feel light when you start training.
And before a match?
CH- You can eat a little more, cheese and arepa, but always be light. If you are going to play a night game, you should eat normal during the day, and it is best to eat lightly before the game.
How should you warm up?
CH- It is essential to warm up and stretch, also be very focused and attentive to the instructions of the coach or whoever is in charge of the group, to avoid problems or injuries during the game.
What kind of exercise does a football player do, besides football?
CH- You train every day for an hour and a half. It is a physical and mental preparation with different exercises. The physical part is fundamental, football demands it a lot because it is a high performance sport. As they say: As one trains, one plays. You stretch out, warm up, do ball work, in tight spaces, teamwork. That is the basis, so that the day of the game things go the best way possible. The tactical part is also stressed through defensive and offensive work. And you work with the entire team to carry out a strategy on game day.
What should the mentality of a football player be?
CH- Always be sure of what you hare, what you have as a player and the partner next to you. You must have a winning mentality and leave everything on the pitch for the benefit of the team, and not just your own. You must have very good communication with your teammates.
How does someone benefit in their daily lives from football?
CH- Physically speaking, you stay in very good shape and health. Football is health. And football players are very good working as a team, because football is not about individualities but about teamwork. All 11 players on the pitch win together.
Any advice?
CH- Football is very good for you. If you like it, play it with love and passion. Prepare very well, even if it’s just for fun. And enjoy it, because football is a wonderful sport.
Discipline is very important, and if you are going to play football you have to take care of yourself. You cannot lead a messy life, smoke and drink liquor. You have to act like a professional, even if you don’t do it professionally. You have to see football as health, that is essential, and it will give you many more positive things in life.
Now go practice football with all your passion!
Did it spark something in you? You have the professional advice of a football star, and you also have access to the best synthetic courts. All you have to do is register with Conecta and know all the benefits that SUPERGOL offers you to book a space, and play football with your family or friends.
What are you waiting for?