Memoirs of Diego Sognora in Boca Juniors: From an incredible walk with the river to the era of Maradona during the fight against addiction

“I've been from the West all my life. I was born in Casanova, but when I was 8 years old, I already settled in Moron and today, at 53, I still live in this region. In addition, I have been running a soccer school in Haido for almost 30 years.” Diego Chiche Soñora is intact with the same kindness as he was known as a player and has not changed. He exudes a passion for talking about soccer, his position in the world and his roots. Boca Juniors is proud of his two sons who escape all the horses of this man working at the back of the club and play in the first division in Argentina.

“I did well on the field because I came to the club at the pre-Novena age. When I took the exam in La Candela, I was 9 years old, and from that moment on, I was there, starting with my soccer career and my relationship with the institution. It was at the time when the inferior people were led by Ernesto Grillo and Alberto Gonzalito Gonzalez. They were like two parents to us because they took good care of boys. Over time, Walter Pico and Diego Latorre joined and led all categories to the fifth, where we trained with the U-21 team that the reservists and Cesar Menotti put together when they arrived in 1987. Angel Capa”.

The yearbook was approaching in the late 1980s, when Boca struggled a lot, but since Antonio Alegre's arrival as president in 1985, the ordering process in all areas has begun. For the first division, there was a permanent need to buy until the appearance of three boys with different characteristics that excited the fans who arrived early in La Bombonera, since there were no interesting elements in the lower sector. Diego La Torre, Walter Pico and Diego Sonora

“We were trained in a court close to one of the first courts in La Candela. We looked sideways, dreaming that we could join them until we woke up little by little. It happened very quickly. I remember perfectly the day when Pato Pastoriza asked me to accompany them to play soccer and immediately told me that I had to concentrate on going to the bench with Platense in the league finals. I ran home (laughs) and I didn't know. The joy was immense. I had experience and experience I joined a team of men who are many and have a high average age. Rocco Gatti was still 44 years old.”

The 1988/89 season was a great expectation in our football. Because the hypothesis regarding the Menotti River has brought many great players, and Boca has not been left behind by incorporating the return of Juan Simon, Carlos Navarro Montoya, Claudio Marangoni, Walter Ferrazo and Carlos Tapia. Obviously, because of this situation, children were slightly relegated, causing them to alternate between banks and reserves.

“It was difficult, but I put it forward until I had the chance to make my first debut. Of course, I had a lot of nerves. The team came out of two consecutive defeats and we acted in the right-handed driving position by losing 2-0 with Platense at home when Pao brought me. Let's say it was normal. I immediately returned to the reserve army, but I was in training and had a lot of faith. Little by little I have been setting myself up and I have participated in several Copa Libertadores matches in 89, but I could not consolidate until I was successful. What is consolidation? When I owned a shirt. I was lucky enough to be part of the team that won the Super Cup and the Cup. The club has not been successful for several years, but it was a very important title because over time it has been even more valuable. In November 1990, I scored my first goal. One morning, the stadium was full on the Véles field facing a race. I did it for Goyco almost at the end and won 1-0. However, in the era of Kai Aimar, it didn't start until the story changed at the beginning of 91.”

A quote from Cairn Chiche (nickname since he was a child, because his physique was very young, that looked like a toy and from then on it has become a pseudonym that accompanies him until today) is usually linked to the arrival of Boca and a coach who is very important to him in particular.

“Maestro Tabárez was a phenomenon and gave me the opportunity to feel the title, but I came back to the right. Luis Abramovich and Ivar Stapuja were there for a long time, but he invited me to try this position and never came out again. I wanted a tip marker like today, so I not only covered the group under the pretext of defense, but I also placed it with the steering wheel, and I wanted to reach the ground with a pointer and have a permanent vocation to attack That's why the eyes were very beautiful. The team that won Clausura '91 is Boca It was better than joining a year later to become champion after 11 years without celebrating the title. We had a very good defense and a strong attack with the Batistuta-Latorre duo. However, for reasons related to soccer and regulations, Clausura's exploits were not worth the championship and we lost the final to Newell. I lost the last game to Newell. I came in with my injured ankle and Dr. Andreacchio came on the field before starting overtime. I was able to cut it off and wear it because the area was very swollen and the loot didn't suit me. At the same time, the Copa Libertadores semifinals with Colo Colo in Santiago were like a war. I have always found that I have never done it with many civilians who transported us. I can say that the carabinieri were very good, saved us, and nothing unfortunate happened because God didn't want to. And at the sporting level, if we had succeeded in this series, we were champions. There is no doubt about that.”

Boca was his place in the world, and Maestro Tavarez found his place in the court as a right-back marker. His performance kept increasing and, in the same 1991, he received a deserved call to the national team, which had just been the United States champion “Coco Basile called me, but I was never convinced, I think the press took much longer than that. These are the tastes of each coach, they are completely understandable, and they have also had excellent colleagues like Fabian Basualdo, Hernan Diaz or Nestor Kraviotto. I just went to the river court against the teams from the rest of the world and that was exactly the case. I was not at all enthusiastic about the 94 World Cup because I knew the reality despite my level.”

Sunday, December 20, 1992 is a date that has always been painted in blue and gold. That day, Boca drew a photo with San Martin de Tucuman from La Bombonera to evict an 11-year-old ghost without a local title. Diego Soñora was another fan of playing and wandering around the Olympic Games as an athlete. “It was really good, but it has taken on a dimension over time. At that time we celebrated and enjoyed it, but Boca does not feel it every day because it requires a lot. We had very good players and the most of a coach like Tabárez. He was an advanced player because he brought a different game, a model of attack that many coaches do today. In my particular case, I know that I am very good in the offensive part, but the score was poor, which gave me a concept to learn. It was a time when there was no defeat against a river that would never be forgotten, whether official or friendly, and the game was incredible.”

The Tabarez cycle began in January 1991 and ended in April 93. After the previous year's title, the team continued to go down as “beasts and pigeons” due to poor performances and conflicts within the team. After a short stop by Professor Habbeger, he came to see César Luis Menotti, Technical Director, “El Flaco is a special person, a great source of motivation and has many teachings. In soccer, I learned that all coaches leave something positive compared to others. But someone at that level is very important. What I've learned from him is now being applied. There has been a lot of controversy regarding the dehydration of space planned by Caesar, but in my particular case it has been enriched and I think that several TDs are applying it with the logical evolution that has occurred in the game.”

In 1994, Boca did not participate in one of the two regional tournaments and missed the Super Cup in the final against Independiente. At the beginning of 95, club legend Silvio Marzolini took over, giving rise to the reinforcement expected in the middle of the year. Diego Armando Maradona: “The greatest of all was the enormous generosity, which I could not take advantage of 100% because of addiction and other problems. The outside was huge, like I was in the courtroom. As a unique and humble companion, I felt like one more member of the group. As a player... Nothing else can be added. Living with him and Carnigia was special. We had a huge team with great soccer players until Beto Marchico was Diego's replacement. The opening tournament was very intense and we had a great advantage. Because of the problem of adding football, we fell, and that's because Velez played a great last role and it happened to us.”

When it was a dream to return to the Olympics with Maradona due to the pain of driving a championship that disappeared in an unusual way, it was time to say goodbye to his beloved club after 9 years in the first and five titles. At that time, Argentine footballers were barely traveling their destiny. USA: “Cacho Córdoba, a former Boca defender, called me to invite me to try my luck in MLS and immediately said yes because I was a little tired of being away from a thousand people every day. Argentina is asking for you. Boca's first 9 years means 18 years anywhere (laughs). I bet on a different life and it worked well. It's because they've had fun shows, they've made many friends, and two children were born there. It was clear that the day the Americans wanted would participate in soccer. Many soccer players have grown up at all levels because they were now exporters before they retired.”

Four teams from the start of MLS saw Chiche leave its mark. At the beginning of the new century, he recovered his bag again. He first wore a Cerro Porteno shirt in Paraguay, then in Chile in the colors of Deportes Concepción. And we had time to say goodbye. “It didn't cost me to retire because the idea was already maturing. Also, shortly after the release of Showball with Diego, we had 4 wonderful years. In 2012, I was happy to return to Boca with Jorge Raffo and work in low places until 2017. With Román in 2020, we had a niche where I could work with boys with Román, and that's what I'm most passionate about. Currently, together with Blas Giunta, we are in charge of coordinating all the sub-elements from the ninth to the fourth. We know what boys are like in the first class. I am very happy with this task because I know if it fits well.”

However, Soñora's name did not remain in the memory of the memories of seeing him leave the classic groove on the right, making the whole band blue and gold. Now his children are in the first division. Alan from Independiente and Joel de Véles: “It's a great emotion to see them like that. I share with them the joy of following them everywhere, knowing what they do and living according to what they love. They were born to play soccer from a young age because they had a ball under their arm.Alan struggled, fought with her, and today he is in 10th place in Independiente, and Joel is in a great institution like Velez and can develop a lot. I feel it.”

This conference also sets up a place to remind him of the most important soccer players he had to face. I had to score a very young Ronaldo, but he has already made it clear how he would be in another galaxy. Beto Acosta was as tough as Turu Flores, who was a tank. He did well against Bochini and expected it many times, but he caught it when he was a child. He was a phenomenal person and got closer to the 10 of his son, Independiente, who wears a shirt today.”

Alan and Joel make him proud because the castle is still valid in football. Just like he left his mark on Boca. His love club and his decisive place in the world, he feels full and happy again.

Keep reading: