After retiring in 2015, Gerardo Bedoya began his coaching career almost immediately. The Colombian, who won the 2001 Copa América as a player, started out as a field assistant until his first internship at Independiente Santa Fe. He then spent five years in the smaller divisions at “Cardenal” until he moved to Valledupar FC in 2001. In 2022, his country was promoted.
After his time with that club, he returned to the Bogotá team, where he held a new interim position. “I’m waiting for the opportunity to work again. I feel like it again. At first I was a little tired because the coaching career is difficult, but with what I did in Santa Fe, beautiful things happened that increased the desire to return to football,” he says in the second part of his conversation with AS Chile .
– What do you attribute this tiredness to?
– For example, I managed a B team and it’s difficult when they suddenly want you to play some players that you don’t see so that they have a chance. That’s not so good.
– External pressure?
– Sometimes that happens here, especially in the B teams, and it ends up making things complicated for the coach. The DT is the one who sees every day and knows who is OK or ready to play. Sometimes there are people who are not there and come to express their opinion or ask you to nominate a player. This will be tiring. I tried to follow my behavior, which was better. Then they send you messages and try to tell you that you need to be more flexible and have other things. It will be uncomfortable.
– Isn’t this a direct message?
– That’s how it is. I would like it to be more direct, to tell you what the reality is, but sometimes trying things out gets you mentally tired and you don’t know what to do or how to put the teams together .
– What role do representatives play in Colombia? Do they have significant interference in the clubs?
– In many teams, yes.
– And do you see any control by the authorities?
– They sort it out with the team owners. Unfortunately, team owners are natural people and do whatever they want with their team. There are many who adapt and others who have trusted businessmen who supposedly know and put together the teams, and that’s how you have to play.
