Behind the titles of a team there is a leader, or many, as in the case of Nacional, which was crowned champion of the Betplay 1-2022 League, after beating Tolima in the final series (4-3).
Among those players who took the spokesman appears Dorlan Pabonwho at 33 years of age decided to return to the Paisa group after consecrating himself in Mexico.
Although his records are good, neither the goals nor the assists are the main contribution of the 34-year-old soccer player, born in Medellín. The added value that he gives to the club is in the locker room.
Although when he attends press conferences he seems shy and is not the most fluid, off-camera his leadership is evident and according to coach Hernán Darío Herrera, he has complemented himself perfectly with that of Giovanni Moreno, Andrés Andrade and Alexander Mejía, among others.
By the way, the muleteer He told Espn that one day, when they were outside the city concentrating before a game, Pabón proposed to break the anxiety of the prelude to the game by going out to eat on the street. The coach replied that he had to ask if the institution paid for the expense that this implied, to which the player replied that he paid the bill.
In effect, the group took advantage of the authorization of the coach who, between laughs, remembers that the skillful soccer player was quite expensive for his invitation: “With that account that Dorlan paid, I lived in my house for about two months.”
Herrera acknowledges that, like other companions, Memín has a marked ancestry in the group and that is why he used to go with the flow in some things. In celebration of the 17th star could not be the exception, that’s why the counselor answered his call and joined the feast that the players had in the dressing room, in Ibagué, where he agreed to pose for the photo with him and other players, with a cigar in his hands, in the best style of Carlo Ancelotti, after winning the Champions League title.
“In the Murillo Toro there are two dressing rooms, one for the players and the other for the coaching staff, Dorlan went there and looked for me and he took me to where they were celebrating, it was very exciting when they chanted my name and Dorlan told me that if we were going to smoke a cigar, I would let them take the photo, although I neither smoke nor drink”, recalled the Muleteer.
These anecdotes summarize the moments of union that Pabón fostered, which ultimately contributed to achieving the 17th star.
It also speaks well of him, the fact of recognizing, after the game, the virtues of Tolima, to whom I wish success in the Copa Libertadores.
Memín had a brief time in Europe (Parma, Real Betis and Valencia) and also in Brazil. In contrast, his stay in Mexico was long, where he wore the Monterrey shirt (2013-2021), and said goodbye as one of the internationals with the highest performance.
On July 6, 2021 it was confirmed He returned to face his second cycle in this club. The first was between 2010 and 2011, when with speed and strong punch he caused numerous celebrations.
Upon his return to Nacional, his performance was not as expected. However, as the days went by, he picked up the pace and was a key player in the process that led to the title. Proof of this is that he played 23 of the team’s 28 games in this championship, in which he accumulated 1,554 minutes on the pitch.
According to data from Óscar Yamit Quiroz, Pabón accumulates 144 appearances in Nacional, 134 of them as a starter. He debuted on July 1, 2010 in the National victory (2-0) over Deportivo Rionegro, in the so-called Postobón Cup at that time.
Dorlan has 3 titles with the green (2 in the League and 1 in the Cup) and 57 goals, 47 in his first cycle, and 10 in the second.or, 4 of them in the closing of 2021 and 6 in the opening of 2022.
