The Metropolitanos Sentinel
The dugout25 Jan 2027
Richard Figueroa keeps the receipts
“I remember the meeting. I remember exactly what was promised in it.” Metropolitanos may remember it differently, which is precisely the problem.
Squad25 Jan 2027
A falling-out at Metropolitanos
José Riasco and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
Boardroom25 Jan 2027
5 academy graduates step up at Metropolitanos
Senior shirt numbers handed to boys the coaches have known since they were twelve. Most will not make it and all of them have already done the hard part.
Squad25 Jan 2027
A row about effort at Metropolitanos
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Francisco Manenti was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
The terraces25 Jan 2027
The crowd has taken to José Riasco
At 22 he is being sung about by people twice his age, which is an affection a signing has to earn over years and a local kid gets for turning up. It is also the hardest thing in football to live up to.
The dugout25 Jan 2027
No hiding place for Francisco Manenti
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Francisco Manenti, and the manager let it.
Market25 Jan 2027
Metropolitanos promote Jose Ramirez from within
The academy exists for exactly this morning. Jose Ramirez has come through every age group the club runs and has now been handed a senior number, and the people who coached him at twelve will be the proudest in the building.
Market25 Jan 2027
One of our own: Daniel Murillo joins the Metropolitanos first team
Clubs spend fortunes looking for players and occasionally find one down the corridor. Daniel Murillo is that, and the reception he gets on his first appearance will be different in kind from the one any signing receives.
Market25 Jan 2027
Luis Rincon steps up from the Metropolitanos academy
There is no fee, no unveiling and no agent on the steps. Luis Rincon has been at this club since he was a boy and is now, formally, one of the first-team squad — which for a local readership beats any signing of any size.
In brief
- Market Gabriel Otero steps up from the Metropolitanos academy
- Match Metropolitanos find a way past UCV
- Player ratings Jean Franco Fuentes stands above it all