‘Let’s hope Nacional can celebrate another title’: Hugo Morales

Argentinian midfielder Hugo Moraux left a mark on Atlético Nacional between 2002 and 2004.

His technique, which became visible with his good handling of the ball and with his ability to hit the ball, especially in the pickups of the ball again, is still in the memory of the fans of the Antioquian team.

Although his departure from the club did not go smoothly and was shrouded in an atmosphere of mystery, the player’s feeling towards the institution remains intact, as does that of the fans for him.

Moralito, as he was affectionately known, admits he hopes to return to the club at some point, but already in the technical director role, which he aspires to play in the Colombian King of Cups.

The former player is clear that if that were to happen it would be in the future, as at the moment he is looking to add experience in his country and from a distance he is pushing Hernán Darío Herrera to win the League title Betplay 1-2022. and for the green team to end the title drought they have had since the first half of 2017, when they beat Deportivo Cali and reached their number 16.

The Argentine spoke with EL COLOMBIANO about his present Nacional, his departure from the club and other issues.

What can we say about your present?

“Since I stopped playing professional football 13 years ago, I came to live in Corrientes, a city 800 km from Buenos Aires, which has 50,000 inhabitants. I have been a bit far from this What is Buenos Aires, football and everything, but here I have a small football school. I also plan to start directing with a friend, since he offered me to do a technical duo”.

Who is the friend?

“His name is Ariel Lopez, he played in Spain, in Argentina, in Lanús he played with me. We are waiting to start taking our first steps as technicians.

Where do you see yourself going?

“We have a good finish in Lanús, we were Conmebol Cup champions. Then it’s to wait for proposals, we want to get started, we know it’s difficult because there are also a lot of technicians who are waiting for their opportunity. I hope he can guide a top team in Buenos Aires and, logically, a big dream is to lead Atlético Nacional because I know the club and I know its greatness”.

Which role do you think is better, footballer or coach?

“It’s a different responsibility. Before you had colleagues by your side who shared the responsibility, now you are the axis, you have to command, it is more difficult to have to put order in what we think, whether it comes out or maybe not.

Have you prepared for this new facet?

“Yes, I had interviews, meetings with technicians from here, I have already managed amateur teams from here, it went well for me and it was a great experience. You also have to be glued to TV all day, listening, watching videos and lots of other things. We are ready. My friend has gone to live in Mexico, he is a little more up to date than me, he has managed Mexican teams on an interim basis and the inferiors of Lanús, so we are ready for the day when a team comes loose, we can demonstrate our work .

What do you remember the most from your time at Nacional?

“Everything, because there is nothing to complain about. On the contrary, they treated me like at home, my teammates, the accessories, the fans treated me very well, not to mention. I would have liked to retire at Nacional, but because of fate and life, it was not like that”.

Why did you leave Atlético Nacional?

“I still don’t know why. Honestly, they never gave me an explanation at that time, but we don’t blame them, it makes me rather sad that I couldn’t continue in the club and retired there. But hey, these are things that happened. I will always be grateful for the way they treated me.”

Did you have any differences with Santiago Escobar or a manager that could have influenced your departure?

“No, I can’t tell you either of those two things because nobody told me. The only thing they told me was that I had to go to the club and sign the termination of my contract and we were ready. In other words, I don’t know if it was on the side of the leaders, if it was on the side of the sachi escobarI don’t know, that’s why I’m telling you, I left the club a bit lost because they called me there, I didn’t speak to anyone, I just think I was Victor Marulanda. I also thank him because he always treated me very well, he is a good person, he gave me and my family the best, but he never knew the explanation either.

What friendships has your time at the Purslane team left you with?

“After so much time, contact is lost, but with Victor Hugo Aristizabal we always talk to each other, also well with Chicho (Serena), which is now in Buenos Aires. I also spoke with Andrés Saldarriaga, that I had the pleasure of seeing and greeting him, as well as Jay Rambal. Logically, I would like to find most of my teammates because we had a great group, it was really like a family, we got along very well, the same with the technical staff, in general everything was harmonious”.

The final you lost to Junior was one of the most emotional moments of your time at Nacional, what do you remember?

“It was one of the most disappointing things in sporting terms. We practically had the championship ready to turn around, but they scored a goal and we lost on penalties. Things hurt us, but that made us strong. I remember that we had trouble getting to the locker room, we couldn’t talk to each other, some had tears in their eyes, but the good thing about this sport is that it pays still “.

Atlético Nacional are in the League final, but last weekend they went five years without being champions, what do you attribute that to?

“Football is becoming more equal, it’s like here in Argentina, where Boca is played to death. The same thing happens in Colombia because Nacional is the biggest there. There are times when you can play better than the others. There are times when you can go to the final or not, the important thing is that you have to be there, you have to insist until you can get there like now, which is close to the title”.