Juan Camilo Vela is another of those great talents in Colombian soccer who believes he has the same quality as great figures like James Rodríguez or Juan Fernando Quintero, but who admits his lack of professionalism in youth and how that took its toll on him professionally.
The 27-year-old midfielder ended his relationship with Boyacá Chicó in June and since then has not been confirmed by any other Colombian or foreign soccer club.
In a talk with Grueso Caliber, Vela said that in his youth he shared the dressing room with players who are now figures of Colombian football and that even he had much more prominence than them, but that the excesses took their toll.
When he was barely 19 years old, Vela caught the attention of Eduardo Lara for the U-20 World Cup, but finally they did not take him because “I behaved not in the best way.” Later, in 2012, he had the call of the ‘Pisces “Restrepo, who took him to a friendly tournament in Peru.” We were Bonilla, Juanfer, Sebastián Pérez and I, the ones with the most matches, the most experience, we were captains and we had a good time. “
At that time, Vela played for Quindío and stood out along with other players such as Alex Mejía or Elkin Murillo, who had already played for the Colombian National Team of seniors.
But after passing through Colombia, the Vallecacucano midfielder got out of control: “When I left the National Team, the drink started, staying up late, bad training, poor diet, I gained 16 kilos and no one was putting me in, but it was logical because I didn’t train well, I didn’t eat well, I was late, I didn’t care if I was fined, even on many occasions I told Don Hernando Ángel to kick me out. “
Vela went through Universitario de Popayán, Jaguares Huila and Chicó. Even in 2016 he had a strong controversy with Hernando Ángel, also owner of Universitario de Popayán because they accused him of receiving calls to arrange a game against America, something that was never proven, but that he did take him out of football for six months in 2017.
It was finally in Chicó where he found a regularity and from 2018 to 2020 he was one of the team’s outstanding players. In fact, he was the one who scored the goal that brought Chicó back to the First Division at the end of 2019, a fact that marked him in front of the right-wing fans.
However, Vela is clear that he is another of the many cases in Colombia that, due to lack of professionalism, did not become as great as James, despite having something of his quality.
“There was a football gap in my life after the National Team. James had what I didn’t have: professionalism. If I was at the level of James, Juanfer, for something we were referents of the Colombian National Team, not everyone gets the 10 or the National Team tape. “
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