Enzo Pérez waited his whole life for a call to realize his great dream and became River’s latest idol

There is no need to clarify why it is called Enzo. Father of him, a fan of River and admirer of Enzo Francescolihe didn’t hesitate for a second about the name to give to his son when he was born on 22 February 1986. Two weeks earlier, the Uruguayan had portrayed one of the great moments of football by designing an overhead kick in the remembered 5-4 of the team Baby Veira to the selection of Poland in Mar del Plata.

Born in Maipú, a city in Mendoza, Enzo Perez He came into the world in a humble home, with a family that was “nomadic”, for not being able to pay the rent and having to go from house to house. They also lived in a garage. His father, a bricklayer, carried out jobs for certain periods. He even had to sell his wedding ring to buy food and his wife pretended to have a stomach ache so the kids wouldn’t run out of food.

The eldest of four brothers, Enzo always says that that stage has remained very imprinted in his head. And perhaps it was the driving force behind his effort to grow in football and not stop there. The ball was always there, for as long as he could remember. He would come home from school, throw away his backpack and start kicking. The passion for River, immediately began to flow through his veins too. And he has always dreamed of wearing the red armband and playing at Monumental. Even with the meeting with Francescoli, his idol.

He met the Uruguayan when he played for Estudiantes. He drove them crazy Leonardo Astrada AND Hernan Diaz so that they could present it to him. And one day, surprisingly, they did. Enzo had gone to visit his son Marco, who was playing for the Inferiores del Click and the meeting took place, with photo attached. The first of many that would come years later…

Pérez and Francescoli met again in 2017 at River. One as a player, the other as a coach. The dream of that little boy from Mendoza came true. But before that there was a long journey, which began at the age of 9, when he started playing for Deportivo Maipú, where he learned his skills through kicks and beatings. He remained there until the age of 17, after which he moved to Godoy Cruz.

To the Tomb It arrived thanks to a selective group of young people from the region who put together the Cat Oldra, who Enzo defines as a “father of football”. At Godoy Cruz, Pérez was part of the team promoted to the Primera in 2006. That year, curiously, he met Monumental. The passion for River has always been present.

So, after Saturday’s match against Independiente, Enzo took the car with his wife, his brother-in-law and his father-in-law and the next day the four of them went together to Buenos Aires to see River-Boca. (played on 8 October 2006) ended 3-1 with a goal by Higuaín. They bought resale tickets on the street.

A year later, already wearing the Estudiantes shirt, Enzo will play for the first time at Monumental, in a match that River won 4 to 2. Bloody as alwaysconcluded the meeting by discussing with the Millionaire players.

In La Plata, The midfielder was on the verge of footballing glory for the first time, becoming American champion in 2009, with Alejandro Sabella’s team., another technician who left him many lessons. That day of the final with Cruzeiro in Belo Horizonte, July 15, his first child was born, named Santiago Enzo. The first was worn by her mother, Florencia, and the second, obviously, by her father. “It was for Francescoli, not for me”, he clarified. A few years later Pia would arrive.

From Estudiantes, Pérez made the leap to Europe to play for Benfica, where he became much more of a player. He also returned to the field to play as a double five (previously playing as a right or more advanced midfielder), under the guidance of Jorge Jesús. Then he continued Valencia. In between, she challenged the World Cup Brazil 2014, where he achieved a good performance in the final with Germany. AND Four years later I would also go to Russia in 2018. He was on holiday in Rio de Janeiro when Jorge Sampaoli called him to replace him Manu Lanziniwho was injured.

Valencia, already established as a central midfielder, received the most awaited call of his life. Marcelo Gallardo wanted to have it. And Enzo didn’t hesitate. He left Europe, gave up the money and returned to Argentina to wear the t-shirt of your loves.

Thus an idyll began to arise with the fans. Which had already started even before, when the player had declared that “if I score a goal against Boca, I don’t know how he will react”. Those fans from the red band who saw and see Enzo as one of them, from the stands, but on the playing field. Because if Pérez didn’t miss anything, it was playing with his heart and leaving everything for the colors.

Enzo leaves River six years after arriving in mid-2017 with 10 titles, including the 2018 Copa Libertadores, won against Boca in the final at the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid, where another magical photo was taken together with Francescoli, with the Cup in the centre. The last one was Friday night at the Champions Trophy. AND wins against Bocawho he also beat in the definition of the Argentine Super Cup in March 2018, and culminates his stay in the club with a positive balance in the Superclásicos, winning 7, drawing 6 and losing 4, of the 17 played.

Enzo left everything for River. He also wore the gloves to go on goal in the memorable match against Independiente Santa Fe of the 2021 Copa Libertadores, which Núñez’s team won 2-1 due to the massive infections the team had suffered during the coronavirus pandemic. “Shortcut, Marcelo”Pérez gave Gallardo when the doll asked who was excited in a previous training.

“I made all my dreams come true with this t-shirt”said Enzo Pérez minutes after taking the Olympic turn after gaining the Professional League in July this year. It was a sentence that already smacked of goodbye. Against Rosario Central, in Santiago del Estero, at the age of 37, he played his last match with the River shirt and the captain’s ribbon that each of his teammates wore after the free happy ending. He received a standing ovation. They lifted him onto a stretcher before raising the last glass together with Jonatan Maidana, another whom he saluted. YESand he has become an emblem and, for everything he has done, he will have a deserved place on the flag of the club’s idols.. That club that Enzo has loved since he was born.

All Enzo Pérez titles in River

• Argentina Cup 2017.

• Argentina Super Cup 2017.

• Copa Libertadores 2018.

• South American Cup Winners’ Cup 2019.

• Argentina Cup 2019.

• Argentina Super Cup 2019.

• 2021 Professional Championship.

• Champions Trophy 2021.

• Professional League 2023.

• Champions Trophy 2023.