Colombia manager Néstor Lorenzo has been told he must build his side around Liverpool star Luis Diaz if they are to avoid the embarrassment of not qualifying for major tournaments in future.
The South American side will not be a part of the World Cup in Qatar this winter after finishing sixth in the 10-team CONMEBOL qualification.
It led to a change of management and a serious look at what needs to be done for the future, with numerous questions about how a side full of talent could have missed out.
That failure was seen as an embarrassment that has to be avoided in future, which could mean something of a rebuild under Lorenzo moving forwards.
At the moment that is something he is avoiding, continuing to use the likes of James Rodriguez and Juan Cuadrado during this international break.
That’s fine for now according to journalist Carlos González, but for him there is one man the team should be built around, and that is Liverpool’s Luis Diaz.
“I think it’s great that James played well against Guatemala and that he can help the national team at this very difficult stage, but Néstor Lorenzo can’t lose focus,” he told Marca Colombia.
“His national team must have a point of reference around which the rest of the team must revolve and that is none other than Luis Diaz.
“The current Liverpool player is going to be the star of this team in the coming years, and he will reach his peak in 2026, when he will be 29 years old, the best age for a footballer without any doubt.
“All his effort should be put into making a national team that revolves around Luis Diaz. The failure of not being in Qatar now should serve as a lesson for him not to repeat the same mistakes.
“The embarrassment of this qualification campaign should not happen again. It would be unforgivable. And that success means betting on Luis Diaz, although James will continue to play a role if he recovers his best level, but the crack is now Lucho.”
