Sporting Cristal has left the bad weather of recent months behind and is in a phase marked by positive results. The good game against Fluminense in Brazil and the improvement in league 1 have raised optimism to move up further in the Copa Sudamericana and also become national champions. The great merit of this growth lies in this Tiago Nuneswho was also responsible for bringing one of the current players: Ignacio Da Silva.
Tiago Nunes revealed a lot of interesting things about his motives and about him as a coach in the program “Al Ángulo”. However, one of the specific topics discussed that is of great interest to Sporting Cristal fans is Ignácio’s arrival at the club. Why did you choose him and how did you manage to convince him to come?
Tiago Nunes and the central defense profile he was looking for at Sporting Cristal
The Sporting Cristal coach explained in detail the whole search and selection process before signing Ignácio Da Silva. According to Nunes, they first defined a plant profile to identify potential options. What Cristal was looking for was a defender with good air capacity who is big, strong and most importantly quick to mark.
Tiago Nunes’ initial idea was to play with a ‘slightly shorter’ line, so he said he wasn’t that concerned about becoming a very good footballer. Based on this, they rated several names. In all of them, however, the fact that Nunes already knew Ignácio, having seen him in Chapecoense and in Bahia, also prevailed.
Ignácio Da Silva has excelled in both Liga 1 and the Copa Libertadores with Sporting Cristal. Photo: EFE
How did Tiago Nunes convince Ignácio Da Silva to join Cristal?
When the manager and club expressed interest in Ignácio Da Silva, the Brazilian defender was unsure about renewing his contract with Bahia, the side he had just started with in Serie B. Given the situation, the key thing is that the current Sporting Cristal player’s signing was quick and Nunes convinced him of the idea that a move from Brazil to Peru would be valuable for his career.
Tiago Nunes said they showed Ignácio that Cristal could be a great showcase for South American football. He explained that it is very difficult for a Brazilian player to have the opportunity to play in a Copa Libertadores. The arrival in Florida was the first international tournament experience for the 26-year-old central defender.
This is how Ignácio Da Silva became a Sporting Cristal player. Tiago Nunes and many he spoke to were aware of his potential and he said his performances this season simply confirmed it. Today he is the squad’s most decisive defender and is also recognized by fans of other teams as the best in League 1.
In which teams did Ignácio Da Silva play?
- bay
- Centro Sportivo Alagoano
- Chapecoense
- Sporting Cristal (Peru)