It is almost an absolute truth: Colombian soccer players generally lack sufficient mental strength to achieve success. Not only in national tournaments, but even – and above all – at the international level.
A clear example was what happened in the final of the 2024 Copa América, when the Colombian National Teamdue to an avoidable lack of concentration, and perhaps a lack of malice, the possibility of fighting for the tournament title was lost. Argentina, for its part, although it did not have its best game, did show the ability to “cancherear” that has characterized them and became champions because their players did not stop fighting until the match was over.
That is an inherent skill of the player from the south of the continent: they have the mental consistency to achieve success, which leads to them not giving up until the matches are over, contrary to what happens with many athletes in our country. In Paisa professional football we saw, this year, a couple of examples of that.
Why was Fydriszewski the example player in the DIM?
Argentine striker Francisco Fydriszewski was one of the DIM figures in 2025. During the second half of the year he found the consistency to score that led him to be the red team’s top scorer this year with 20 goals (15 in the League and 5 in the Cup).
In the Cup final, against Nacional, Medellín felt his absence in the 58 minutes that he did not play. Coach Alejandro Restrepo did not put him as a first baseman to take care of a physical problem that afflicted him. However, when he entered, he fought several balls inside the area, changing the face of Medellín’s attack.
He didn’t score a goal, but he ran, opened spaces, made his rivals uncomfortable until the end. That characterized him throughout the year. In the first semester, when he didn’t score goals and the fans asked for him to leave, he was strong mentally: He worked with intensity while, on the field, he had an important tactical role in the functioning of Alejandro Restrepo’s game idea.
That’s why he earned the label of leader. His mentality and drive captivated the fans, who asked his teammates to be infected. The Argentine attacker recently expressed what he thought about the situation.
“It’s something that they say a lot. The mentality of the Colombian and the Argentine is different. However, football is one. Footballers of both nationalities are different. The footballers here, technically and physically, are better than us. However, if they refine their mentality a little, Colombian soccer can be a world power,” he said.
Will Aguerre return to Uruguay?
But Fydri is not the only “representative” of the mental strength that Medellín players should emulate. So is the Uruguayan goalkeeper Washington Aguerre, who has a particular way of being that is a consequence of the confidence he has in his abilities.
Sometimes it comes out. Others don’t. However, he tried to give his all in the games he played. In the Cup final, for example, although he conceded a goal, he also turned out to be a figure in preventing other goals from Nacional and, above all, encouraging his teammates so that they did not stop running, nor did they mentally fall: they had to fight until the end.
The man did it. Many remember the run he made, at high speed, from the arch of the north stand to the line near the western sector to prevent a ball from going out. It was an example of the character, the way of thinking that many say the Colombian soccer player – and the DIM – lacks, to be successful.
For this reason, one of the big unknowns that Medellín fans have for next year is whether or not Uruguayan goalkeeper Washington Aguerre will continue on the Paisa team. Since the middle of this year, the team’s sports director, Federico Spadaassured that they had the intention of buying the player’s record who was one of the best signings in national football this year.
However, nothing has been finalized and, meanwhile, the Uruguayan press states that the goalkeeper is close to signing a contract with Peñarol, a team of which he is a fan and will leave at the end of 2024. There are indications that it would happen. The night before the Cup final, after the flag was thrown, the goalkeeper published a video where he said “thank you Medellín.” It is also rumored that, after the game with Nacional, he said goodbye to his teammates in the dressing room. There is still no official information on the subject.
