Leonel Alvarez

Leonel: an example of how to live

Leonel Alvarez was one of the greatest soccer players in Colombian history, and now he is starting his career as a coach. Leonel was very poor, and for him, soccer was the way to have a better life for him and his family. His first team was Enka, then Antioquia's state team and his first professional team was Medellin. His first professional game was on December 18, 1983 against Bucaramanga. Although he used to be a fan of Nacional, he loved Medellin more because this team gave him the first chance to become professional and buy his mother her first house. He played 109 games with the Colombian National team.

Leonel is among the five players with the most games played with the Colombian national team. He scored 14 goals in his career. He played for the following teams: Medellin, Nacional, America, Pereira, Quindio in Colombia and abroad he played for Veracruz (Mexico), Dallas (USA), New England (USA), Real Valladolid (Spain). Leonel is one of my favorite players, because, as he says, "A soccer player should not only kick a ball he should also have values and be a good example for all the people."

Leonel never drinks alcohol because he wants to set a good example. Leonel has started his career as a coach, and he wants to teach others his experience although he says he suffers more as a coach.

Leonel Alvarez has been one of the most important Colombian soccer players; he changed the history of soccer in Colombia. Colombian soccer teams never won any international tournaments before 1989. Moreover, no soccer team of a country on the Pacific Ocean had won any international tournament before. Leonel Alvarez scored the final goal that made Nacional the first Champion of the "Libertadores Cup." His goal was scored in a penalty shoot-out. All the players of both teams didn't score their penalty and he held all the responsibility of the penalty definition. The national sport in Colombia is soccer, so when his team won this tournament, it made 40 million Colombians happy, and in a country so poor, with so much suffering, and with high violence, having a win like this is something incredible. It makes the economy and employment grow and many people get to have a dream. Leonel made all Colombians happy and made them forget all the big troubles they have.

In other hand in poor countries sport is a way to survive, to change your life. Leonel changed his life and helped many others to change their lives through sports, and because of sports save their live, or their families lives because without succeeding in sports, they maybe would have been killed because of violence with their neighbor. Because of Leonel's example of how to live, many boys stayed away from drugs and violence because they had a dream, and many didn't succeed but learned that hard work is the best way to have a better life, and because of this they are still alive. In 1989, Pablo Escobar, a terrible drug dealer was a big leader in Colombia, and for a generation of young and poor people, he was the example to follow, so poor people have one choice: following Escobar. But after Leonel's victory, people were given a different choice. Many followed Leonel and these people saved their lives. With an example of life, you can change other lives. People need positive idols in order to follow an example and this is a way of changing others lives and making a difference in their lives. Millions of people's lives were saved by this idol.