16/03/2023
Since Alberto Gamero became a technician Millionaires in 2020the ambassador team has lost at least eight important games that have deprived it of the possibility of entering international tournaments or win trophies locally.
The last of those sports “failures” happened on Wednesday, when the ambassadors were left out of the group stage of the 2023 Libertadores Cup after losing 3-1 (4-2 on aggregate) with Atlético Mineiro in Brazil. Although the Bogota team was not the favorite to win the series, their fans did expect them to get a better result.
Being left out of the most important soccer tournament in South America revived the ghost of the eliminations that Millionaires have suffered in the last three years.
The first was in 2020, when they were eliminated from the group stage of the South American Cup after losing in the qualifying round to the Deportivo Cali. The sugar box prevailed in the penalty shootout.
At the end of that year, in the middle of the covid-19 pandemic, the ambassador team was also left out of the 2021 South American Cupafter losing the final of the “losers league” against Deportivo Cali, which was his executioner to qualify for international tournaments. In 2020, “the ambassadors” were also eliminated in the round of 16 of the Colombia Cup by Alianza Petrolera.
2021, a frustrating year for Millionaires
In 2021 Millionaires did not play any international tournament. He had all his potential focused on the local tournament and it showed. They won and won until they reached the final of the Colombian League of the first semester. he faced with Tolima and lost 3-2 on the global score. At that time it was thought that Gamero would not continue leading the team, but the directives decided to keep him.
In the second semester Millionaires also had a good level. He got into the eight and it was thought that he could be champion. However, he fell by the wayside in the semifinal round. The champion of that tournament was Deportivo Cali, who defeated Tolima, then current champion, in the final.
2022, another year without Libertadores
Millionaires started 2022 with the good news that they could play in the Copa Libertadores. However, in the previous phase he had to face Fluminense from Brazill, one of the strongest teams on the continent. On that occasion, he was also left out of the group stage of the most important club tournament in South America.
For his part, in the local league he was eliminated in the semifinals of the first semester tournament and could not get into the top eight at the end of the year because he lost to Santa Fe, in the last round-robin match.