In the January transfer window, Wolverhampton Wanderers managed to sign Ecuadorian youngster Leonardo Campana.
The Premier League side found a deal with Barcelona SC, from the city of Guayaquil, so the 19-year-old could immediately move to England.
Campana had actually been playing for the U23 national team at the time, with Ecuador fighting for a sport in the Olympics.
Following his game against Chile, the striker had to miss an important match against Colombia to complete the move to Wolves, and that was a little controversial at the time.
Ecuador manager Jorge Célico has been interviewed by La Radio Redonda de Guayaquil on Wednesday, and claimed there’s no way he would stop the youngster from completing the move.
“I have to be very sincere, I couldn’t deny a footballer with the attitude that Leo had with the national team from the first day,” Jorge Celico told La Radio Redonda de Guayaquil (via Futbol Ecuador). “He fulfilled a dream as important as playing in one of the most important leagues in the world.”
The manager has admitted it wasn’t great to lose the player at such a stage, especially because Ecuador lost 4-0 without him. Still, there are no regrets about it, since he knew he was helping the 19-year-old.
“Obviously, as the manager, I wasn’t amused that in the middle of the tournament he left and then returned. But I knew that as a human being I was supporting a footballer who always behaved in an exceptional way and was fulfilling his dream.”
