Former Chilean midfielder Clarence Acuña had a good chat with RPP Notícias this week.
Despite having played for eight clubs in his career, it’s his time at Newcastle United which is still highlighted by the South American media.
Acuña featured for the Magpies between 2001 and 2004, making 54 appearances for the club in that period.
In his time at St. James’ Park, he had fellow South American Nolberto Solano alongside him. So the Peruvian outlet had a couple of questions about their relationship.
Acuña explained he’d just met Solano at a Conmebol meeting, but also revealed that they hadn’t seen each other in a very long time.
“In February I was in Lima for four days, working with the people from the development department at La Videna and one day I saw Nol, I ran into him. I hadn’t seen him for some time and there we were talking for a little while,” Acuña told RPP.
“We talked a few times on the phone, but I hadn’t seen him since I left Newcastle.”
On Solano’s success in the Premier League, Acuña said: “The English couldn’t touch him.”
The Chilean player was also asked why the partnership between Solano and Alan Shearer was so good at that time. He says the duo managed to complete each other.
“Yes. Alan Shearer knew that 60-70% were going to be goal passes. Then came a Frenchman, Laurent Robert, who was playing on the left side. He didn’t speak English and Alan approached him. He knew that, like Ñol, he was going to leave him alone to score the goals.
“Shearer was an intelligent player who knew that he needed Ñol and that Ñol needed him because every pass had to have a quality player to score goals. It was mutual intelligence.”
Clarence Acuña is currently working for Conmebol as manager of their development department. He retired from professional football in 2010.
