Chicharito deal cheers Mexican football
By David Faitelson, ESPN Deportes
April 9, 2010
Thursday April 8, 2010, became one of the most treasured days in the history of Mexican football.
Forget about Rafael Marquez, Andres Guardado, Hugo Sanchez, Luis Garcia and even the great 'Pirata' ('The Pirate') Luis de la Fuente . The transaction that took Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez to Manchester United was the most expensive of all time, and the best part was the manner in which this transaction was accomplished.
First of all, an acknowledgement must be made to Chivas and to president Jorge Vergara for going against the traditional policies of Mexican clubs when they decided that a 21-year-old player is destined for success.
Secondly, and this is an irrefutable fact but nevertheless unusual in Mexican football: they have sold his rights in a decided, determined way, with no strings attached, no loans, no promoters, no favours, no help, without the infamous 'Let's see whether he works out for you and then we make the payments'. This type of negotiation is very simple to achieve in other latitudes, but it is terribly unusual to see in Mexico.
'Chicharito' has left at the right time. It is the right time to display his skills, to continue with his learning process, to listen to the wise advice of Sir Alex Ferguson , to immerse himself at Old Trafford, to hear the sound of glory coming from this venerable stadium.
Jorge Vergara seized the opportunity to sign a cooperation agreement with the famous and powerful English side. Chivas will no longer sell their players to an alternative market such as the Netherlands. They will sit at a position of honour at the negotiating table, alongside the biggest and most powerful teams in international football.
In the same announcement, Vergara indicated that the complete starting line-up of Manchester United will be on hand to inaugurate the new Chivas stadium, the Great Temple, towards the end of July.
A dream come true, a great business deal, the lucky strike that the red-and-white faithful had been waiting for for so long.
The events that took place on Thursday are more important than many may expect, and their importance extends to the rest of Mexican football, beyond Chivas or the player himself.
What comes after this will depend on his talent, his dedication, his professionalism and his enthusiasm, and Hernandez has plenty of all that.
But for a football community that dreams eternally of a brighter tomorrow, the sale of 'Chicharito' to Manchester United brings a new opportunity to expand its own hopes.
