12/21/24
July 24, 2009
Bolivian coach quits over fielding 12-year-old son: In heartwarming tale of putting family ahead of career, Julio Cesar Baldivieso, the father of South America’s youngest ever first division soccer player (a few days under 13), has quit as team coach after the management of the Aurora club told him to leave the boy out of the squad. This is not a minor club, Baldivieso led Aurora to the Bolivian top flight championship last season.
posted by billsaysthis to soccer at 01:46 PM - 6 comments
I realize MLS grabbed Freddie Adu when he was (I believe) 14, but we wouldn't think of playing a 12-year-old with a college or high school team, let alone the pros. I think this clearly was a case of nepotism.
posted by jjzucal at 02:23 PM on July 24, 2009
Well it's not like he was handed a spot on the starting 11, just a sub, and who knows, maybe he was working with a severely depleted bench due to injury/suspension issues. *shrug*
posted by juv3nal at 02:30 PM on July 24, 2009
This sounds like that episode of The Simpsons where Homer coaches the peewee team.
posted by Drood at 04:17 PM on July 24, 2009
Isn't this the same kid who went into the game, got knocked down by an opponent, and cried? Watch the video and tell me he should have been on the field. They don't have any adult players of his skill level in Bolivia? Come on.
posted by Venicemenace at 11:33 PM on July 24, 2009
They don't have any adult players of his skill level in Bolivia? Come on.
I didn't see anything in that foul that I haven't seen in Serie A. He was trying to draw a card by making it seem worse than it was. It's half the players' freaking jobs in the pros.
posted by dfleming at 09:44 AM on July 25, 2009
It's hard to say how to feel about this. On the one hand, if the kid was legitimately the best player available to sub on then kudos to the Dad. But if the kid got the chance to play ahead of even marginally better players because of nepotism...
I mean, I don't follow Bolivian football/Aurora enough to know. Anyone?