2025-12-09
The Argentine coach Hector Vargas He did not hold back anything in his talk with DIARY TENwhere he attacked forcefully against the Honduras Football Federationpointing out a lack of planning, bad decisions and a distant management of the realities that the clubs face. He also directly criticized Reinaldo Ruedaquestioning his management at the head of the National Team and pointing out that “the results speak for themselves.” Woewith his frontal style, lamented that those who administer Honduran soccer “do not know the field” and make decisions without considering the sporting impact.
Furthermore, the “Lion of Formosa” He opened his heart when talking about the death of Orinson Amayapresident of Marathon. He took the opportunity to expose the economic crisis that the National League is going through, ensuring that many teams survive “on their own” and that the situation could worsen if urgent changes are not made. In the midst of this panorama, Woe He even doubted his continuity at the helm of Leones HT6 in the Promotion Leagueadmitting that he does not know if he will have the conditions to continue working in such an uncertain environment
THE INTERVIEW
Professor, what is your opinion about this situation that practically overwhelmed the coaches, Professor Ernesto Pineda, Professor John Jairo López, and the players who ended their contracts for five or six months without receiving a salary?
It is a crisis that has been brewing in the club for some time. I was in Victoria in 2012 and it was already a crisis that could be seen coming. I try to make footballers see that they must take care of the people who contribute to football. At that time César Nasthas, who was in charge of the Victoria, had left. There were people who asked the institution and sometimes they play with those who support football.
We are bringing out important people, as also happened with Orinson in Marathon, who was a great contributor and unfortunately passed away. We have to take care of those kinds of people because there are fewer and fewer people who take money out of their pockets to support football. We, coaches, players and even managers sometimes, do not understand that we must protect those who contribute. Others, such as administrative secretaries or sports managers, make unnecessary expenses, and when the time comes to stabilize the club, everything becomes complicated.
You mentioned that you already saw something similar coming in Juticalpa and Choloma. Because?
I didn’t want to come to Juticalpa because at the time I saved the team from relegation they already had serious financial problems. There were demands from footballers who had left in December and could not continue, and that would fall during this tournament. I knew there would be financial problems too. In Choloma I think they were not prepared or, according to what I know, some managers wanted contributors to take charge of the club, but others did not want to give up control to sustain a club in the first division. That creates problems. At the time there were people who wanted to take over the institution and were not allowed.
Professor John Jairo López decided not to appear before Olimpia. How do you analyze this fact?
It’s unfortunate. John Jairo López said he couldn’t take it anymore and decided not to show up. This leaves national football in a very bad position. I have had to see very capable managers in my career. In Olimpia, for example, I was there for three and a half years and I saw how Don Rafael Ferrari managed the club, along with Orinson, lending his shoulder. They are examples of leadership and commitment that are needed today.
What do you think of the crisis that has also been seen in Olimpia, where footballers have left in the middle of the tournament? Did you experience anything similar when you directed there?
They are progressive situations. Football reflects what the country is experiencing. After the pandemic and 2020, where only four or five months were paid, we have tournaments in which the team that does not qualify works only seven or eight months a year. The soccer player has to see how he survives and makes decisions, such as going to play in the United States in bureaucratic tournaments to support his family.
This is already a general problem. We should plan better, for example, the level of the last six teams to build the schedule. I don’t understand who organized the triangular one where Spain, Motagua and Olimpia were in a single zone. We are 11 teams and that structure is not understood. The manager was Colombian and he already left; He came, did his job poorly and left.
You mentioned that many times people without real capacity are hired. Can you expand on that?
Yes. We continue buying ideas from people who are not even known in their country. Many are not required to own a flat. They are given large teams or even federations to manage when they did not stand out in their country. In Colombia, for example, those who qualified for the last world championships were Pekerman and Lorenzo. Colombian technicians like Pinto or Rueda did not qualify. So they are not football geniuses to come and coach teams here. That brings us to the football we have: without direction, without a continuous process, as Panama did have with its coach during the pandemic. Here our coach was in Uruguay waiting for six or seven months to be called, without working with the national team. We are paying for those decisions. We don’t have a World Cup, the league is not competitive and the economic difference between four or five clubs and the rest is enormous.
In recent statements it was said that the team had “simple bad luck” in this cycle. Do you agree with that?
No. If we do not accept mistakes, like the alcoholic who does not accept his problem, we will not improve. We are all making mistakes here. We must rethink Honduran football and listen to people with experience. A manager can choose a coach based on his resume, but he doesn’t know football. If I were a member of the federation, I would call “Primitivo” Maradiaga, Dr. Nazar, former soccer players like Carlos Pavón. Let them give their opinion. But don’t choose based on your resume or platforms, because those statistics don’t tell the whole truth. You have to get good advice at the selection level to choose the best possible coach, because if not, the next World Cup will be even more difficult.
Are the managers most responsible for the crisis or also Rueda and the players?
We are in a process of lack of natural talent. Amado Guevara, Pavón, Rambo de León, Dani Turcios, David Suazo do not appear. Our great figures are not even starters in competitive teams abroad. Not having footballers of that stature, we need a great investment in preparation and being clear about where we are aiming. If we do not analyze the problem well, in ten years we will be behind Guatemala, Nicaragua and El Salvador.
What do you remember about Orinson Amaya, with whom you won a Marathon title? How did you receive his death?
With a lot of pain. We live strong stories. Although in the end we had a contractual problem, the first photo I have on my cell phone is the one he sent me when we won the Super Cup. He was a very close person; I went to his house, I met his family and he met mine. Before the centenary he called me for a Marathon documentary and I participated in the tributes. He made a great effort for the club. I saw him at all the events, with enthusiasm. The day before he died he was shooting with the mayor of San Pedro. Maybe the effort was too much. He left a family destroyed and a club abandoned. When I came to the team, it was institutionally destroyed, and he lifted it up. I think that, if one analyzes carefully, he died as he wanted: celebrating with his people. Although his life was short, he died with joy.
Profe, do you continue with Leones or do you have offers from other teams?
The thing about Leones arose because my daughter was finishing her internship to graduate in medicine in Cuyamel. Juticalpa wanted me to continue after saving relegation, but I took half a year off. I had proposals from Thomas and Marvin Chávez. Let’s see if we continue as planned or if something more important comes out in the first division. I will continue helping these people who want to contribute to football; I hope we can be champions this tournament.
A final message for the Honduran people at the end of the year
I hope that the country comes to terms with all these dilemmas and that we can enjoy the holidays in peace. We all want peace. I hope that what happened in 2017 is not repeated. May God grant that those who must make decisions do it well and that we can reach Christmas with a smile and not lamenting those who are no longer here.
