Enzo Pérez, without announcement but with a flavor of farewell to the Monumental

“Enzo ∞”. One of the many flags that dressed the Monumental on Friday night could well summarize the passage of Enzo Perez by River. The man from Mendoza won everything in these six and a half years in his love club. Many titles, classics, Impossible Cups. But this guy also beat time: Pérez, for the people of River, is already eternal. That’s why what happened last night against Huracán will not have been a farewell to the public. Because Enzo is forever. And because, furthermore, EP will not leave this stadium: on the 24th he was already frequenting the Monumental even a long time before signing a contract with the club. Just as he ran away and encouraged the team incognito during his time with Godoy Cruz and Estudiantes, the captain will continue to do so in the future. He will even put on his boots again: he knows, Pérez, that whenever he wants he will have the Liberti at his disposal in the future to play a tribute match like the idol he has been for a while.

In any case, the fan continues, but so does the legend. “Olé olé olé olé Enzo Enzo”, 86,000 fans sang before the game. A lyric and a melody that would be repeated throughout the night and that made it clear that even though there was no announcement on the 24th, everyone in River understood that this, with Huracán, would surely have been the last one at home. The EP itself seemed to make it clear with gestures: he went out onto the field with his children Enzo Santiago and María Pía and his nieces, with whom he took several photos to have as a souvenir.

“Olelé, olalá, Enzo is from River, he is not leaving River”, thundered the almost nostalgic request of an audience that loves him for seeing one of them in Mendoza, the one who best represents them. Among other things, because Enzo Pérez is also a series of values ​​that are part of the River Plate identity. He demonstrated it just last night, in fact: when the time came for the admission of a Jonathan Maidana who also said goodbye, on the 24th he went and respected the historical chain of command and the warrior’s career and gave him the captain’s ribbon with the colors of the Argentine flag. “Joniiii, Joniiii”, the legendary 38-year-old central marker had his well-deserved recognition from the people.

Of course, the result did not help, and in fact it was not Enzo Pérez’s own best game: as happened a little over a year ago at Marcelo Gallardo’s farewell to Monumental, the context seemed to enter the field and affect the team. Although for the history of Enzo (and, of course, Maidana) in River last night’s 1-2 is insignificant. Because the 24th already beat time. It’s infinite.