To tell us about the new darling of Anderlecht fans, we preferred to turn to the less euphoric Pavel Pardo, 148 caps as a defensive midfielder with the Mexican national team between 1996 and 2009. When he hears our country of origin, he laughs. “Are you from Belgium? Ouch, that’s a bad memory for me. At the 1998 World Cup in France, I was sent off against the Devils. I had tackled a player (NdlR : Vital Borkelmans) from behind and I had turned red after half an hour. We conceded two goals from Wilmots afterwards, but fortunately we were able to come back to snatch a point (2-2).”
gullHuerta has an excellent mentality, with a real passion for football. You need that to succeed in Europe.
Pardo is happy to talk about Huerta, a Mexican who chose to emigrate despite the comfort of the local championship. “Players choose to stay in Mexico because it makes a good living there. But it is mainly the fault of the clubs who charge a lot for their players. It’s difficult to buy them for European clubs. I had an offer from Europe for an offer in 1998 after the World Cup, but the deal could not be done because my club Tecos was asking too much. I had to wait until 2006 to sign for Stuttgart after the German World Cup. I was already 30 years old. Huerta is only 24 and he will be able to show some great things for you.”
We were able to get a glimpse of it on Sunday in Kortrijk, with a goal and a few lucky charms. “Huerta has great technique, he loves dribbling, but he thinks first and foremost about the goal. Not for his stats, but he likes to put his qualities at the service of the game, not just to amuse the gallery. He has an excellent mentality and a real passion for football. I have experienced European football and I think it is essential to succeed there.”
No European Cup (yet) for Huerta
The question of his adaptation to a different game, culture and climate exists, but Pardo is not worried about his compatriot. “When you decide to come to Europe to launch your career, it’s a sign of courage. Huerta has no shortage of them. He wants to become a major player for the national team and he knows that his progression passes through Europe. Mexican soccer players are generally disciplined boys and Huerta fits that mold. He’s not the type to cry at the slightest setback.”
-César Huerta speaks for the first time since his arrival at Anderlecht: “Facing Diego Maradona was a fantastic experience”
In Mexico, many applaud Huerta’s choice. “By coming to the Belgian championship, he agreed not to directly take the strongest league, but he will be able to learn a lot. We need more Mexicans in the Belgian, Swiss and even German championships. The level of our national team would go up suddenly But it is also up to European clubs to make the effort to come scout here and wait for the right contractual moment to seize opportunities. Anderlecht did it very well with Huerta, bravo to this club. .”
Huerta, on the other hand, will have to wait a little longer before discovering the European Cup. Just like Adryelson, he will not qualify until the next round. They will not be able to play in Plzen on Thursday or in Hoffenheim the following week.
