Kun Agüero and his possible return to football: the memory of the tragic end of Búfalo Funes, who retired and died at 28 years old

Cardiological problems that Sergio Agüero highlighted in 2021 during the match between Barcelona AND Alaveswhich forced him to retire as a professional footballer, made more than one remember the story of Juan Gilberto Funes, who enjoyed days of glory with the River shirt, had to retire prematurely due to aortic insufficiency and died at the age of 28. And in this special week in which ‘Kun’ has whitened the possibility of wearing the shirt again Independenteverything was recycled.

Funes was practically unknown when River paid $400,000 to the Millonarios de Bogotá for his record in July 1986. The Buffaloborn on 8 March 1963 in San Luis, he made his debut at the age of 16 in his city’s Huracán and then wore the shirts of Estudiantes de San Luis, Jorge Newbery of Villa Mercedes, Sarmiento of Junín and Gimnasia de Mendoza before leaving for Colombia at the end of 1984.

With Millonarios he scored 55 goals in a year and a half, arousing the interest of River, who three months earlier had won the local tournament and began his journey in the Copa Libertadores, the tournament that had so often eluded him. “This is a dream. Any footballer wants to get to River and I am no exception. I want to be River’s number nine. There are very good players here and I will have to earn my place, but I have great confidence in my condition,” said l attacker at the presentation.

Funes ended up being a key element in winning the continental tournament. He scored three goals, including two in the final against América de Cali: the first in the 2-1 victory in the first leg at the Pascual Guerrero stadium and the only one in the rematch victory at the Monumental. “I was lucky enough to look right and give River a chance to win the Cup. “I thank the people who had faith in me despite not knowing me very well and who allowed me to experience this unforgettable moment,” he said on the night of the consecration.

With Núñez’s club he also won the Intercontinental Cup, in December of the same year against Steaua de Bucharest in Tokyo, and the Interamerican Cup, in August 1987 against Alajuelense of Costa Rica. And his good performances led him to the National team: he was part of the team led by Carlos Pachamé who got the ticket to Seoul 1988 in the Pre-Olympic which was played in Bolivia between April and May 1987 and participated in the Copa América that year in Argentina (he entered the second half of the semi-final against Uruguay and in the duel against Colombia for third place).

In November 1987, River sold him to Olympiacos for $1.1 million. In Greece he had a good first semester, but then had clashes with the Polish coach Jacek Gmoch. As if that wasn’t enough, at the end of 1988 the Athenian institution entered virtual acephaly due to the arrest of its president. Then Funes packed his bags and returned without even notifying the club.

“I couldn’t take it anymore. She was very ill, she had had attacks of hypertension. I couldn’t continue like this. “Greece was hell,” she justified. Then he obtained special permission from FIFA and joined Vélez. “The earth and the blood pull. The World Cup will also be played next year and I would like (Carlos) Bilardo to take me into consideration. On May 8th I will turn 26, I am whole and I want to play everywhere”, he explained in an interview published on Clarion on March 5, 1989.

A good year at Liniers opened the doors to Boca for him. In the mid-90s he played the pre-season with Huerta Grande’s Xeneize team, but a tempting offer from Nice changed his sporting destiny. And it also changed his life: in the medical tests before signing the contract a heart problem was found. which hindered his passage.

“This murmur always emerged during my medical visits: in Colombia, in River, in Vélez. At the age of 18, in San Luis, they had already discovered it. But the doctors didn’t give it much importance. “I always felt good, strong, with desire,” he told Clarín on August 2. By now the possibility of landing in Boca had regained strength.

So much so that on August 9th he played a friendly match against Banfield at the Bombonera (he came on for Walter Pico), signed a contract a few days later and it was even assumed that he would make his debut in a match against Chaco For Ever for the fifth round of the Apertura Tournament . . But Doctor Alberto Gallo, cardiologist of President Antonio Alegreanalyzed the player’s studies and advised Funes to abandon professional football because this could put his life at risk.

The final say was given to a medical commission made up of Raúl Oliveri, Carlos Bertolassi and Carlos Taquini, three cardiologists who analyzed the case at Boca’s request. The report was categorical. “Mr. Funes suffers from aortic insufficiency and, therefore, the patient is advised to discontinue any excessive physical activity.”“, considering that he should not participate in highly competitive sports such as professional football,” the professionals’ opinion stated.

On September 27, 1990, Funes announced his retirement. “I really wasn’t prepared to face this decision, but I have to make it definitively, because the doctors’ opinion is overwhelming and my life is at stake,” he explained at the Italian Hospital, where he had received the news.

Away from professional football, he participated in rallies in his province and in April 1991 he played a friendly match with the Defensores del Oeste shirt, a team from the San Luis League, against Sarmiento Juventud Unida de Tilisarao. That afternoon he scored three goals. “One day not too far away I will return to Buenos Aires, do more studies and then I will definitely return to Boca”he was excited.

But this never happened. In September of the same year he had to be hospitalized and undergo surgery. It was the first of five surgeries in just four months. The last one, carried out on 11 January 1992 at the Güemes Sanatorium in the city of Buenos Aires (where he had been transferred six days earlier from San Luis) to replace the aortic valve.

“He had to be operated on, there was no other possibility. The diagnosis was bacterial endocarditis, with a large amount of vegetation that compromised the insertion of a prosthetic valve and the previously positioned graft”, explained the cardiologist Sergio Perrone, one of the members of René Favaloro’s team who had treated the ‘intervention. A couple of hours after that operation, the former footballer suffered a ventricular arrhythmia and cardiac arrest which led to his death.. She was only 28 years old.

Funes’ body was transferred to San Luis, where he was buried in the White Room of the provincial Government Palace. There, thousands of people paid their last respects to the idol, including Diego Maradona, Ricardo Gareca, Oscar Ruggeri and Carlos Fernando Navarro Montoya. He was buried in the Rosario cemetery in the provincial capital.

“I am destroyed, Juan was dead inside, but outside he had incredible strength. He fought until the last moment. Now we have to support Ivanna (the ex-footballer’s wife) and Juampi (his son) ” Maradona said. The best player of all time, who was serving a doping ban at the time, kept his word: three months later, he organized a tribute match on the Vélez pitch in which many Argentine football figures of the time took part. The money raised went to the family of Buffalo.