Today is a special date, but not because of an unforgettable title or a sporting feat. It is the 20th anniversary of the farewell of a member of the Olympus of the greatest idols of Colo Coloa transversal figure loved by different generations of fans such as Marcelo Pablo Barticciotto.
There is always talk that you have to know how to treasure joys lived in the past. Unforgettable goals, Olympic laps, winning classics, scoring an international title. The 7 del Pueblo lived all these experiences in his time as a Cacique playerbut not only for these things is so loved by people. He is valued for his integrity as an athlete and person, for being someone who is loyal to his principles and who, even after his retirement, never stopped paying attention to the club., striving to make it bigger and keep it close to the people. A person whose sensitivity excites even those who were not even lucky enough to see him play.
the 7 of the people
It was the year 1988, Colo Colo at that time had started a very ambitious transformation project in which they wanted to finish the Monumental Stadium once and for all, be a producer of national team players and fight for an elusive international title. One of the surprises at that time was the arrival of Arturo Salah as a coach, despite the resistance generated by his identification with Universidad de Chile.
He was in charge of assembling the backbone that three years later would lift the Copa Libertadores, where one of his bets was the signing of an unknown young man with few games in Huracán de Argentina: Marcelo Barticiotto.
The arrival of that young attacker was not without pressure, andthat he had to replace none other than Hugo Rubio, transferred to Bologna of Italy. In turn, he arrived in an unknown country at just 20 years old, far from his family and a dressing room full of experienced soccer players, so his adaptation would not be easy.
In his first months he showed a good football level, making an impact with his ability to play with both feet and showing above average speed of the national tournament. But despite leaving good feelings, the player had a downturn that made him even think about leaving the clubwhere heThe figure of Arturo Salah played a key role in supporting himsomething that would be important for future joys and symbolic moments of dawn history.
This, because he was in charge of scoring the first goal at the inauguration of the Monumental Stadium. “I never dimensioned what was going to happen with that goal later in timethere I only lived in the moment, but I did not think what it would mean in the future. The first thing that comes to mind is the happiness we had to have our own home, knowing that we were finally going to be able to play in our stadium, with our people. It was a party that day, the stadium was full, that made my goal go into the background, anyone who did it was fine, ”he recalled in an interview with DaleAlbo.
On top of America
With the support of his teammates and coach, he had a meteoric rise at Popular. He reached a maturity that made him an important figure despite the fact that they changed coaches with the arrival of Mirko Jozic. With the Croatian he learned new concepts and played a leading role in obtaining the Copa Libertadores for being in charge of bringing imbalance to a team that did not have much speed.
His contribution was essential with three scores, including his dream definition against Boca Juniors in the semifinals. “We always made that movement with Mirko and that also caused a distraction in the brands. I knew that the ball was going to fall a little far from the goal, but I never thought that I was not going to be able to catch it. Then I hit it in a strange way, because it was logical to let it pass and hit it with a left volley, but then the goal went too far, it went out a lot. Instead, I hit him, he goes up and surprises the goalkeeper, but I never do it again“, he recalled on one occasion.
The rest is known history, with Colo Colo lifting the Copa Libertadores and Barti probably giving away one of the most emotional moments of the celebration. The transmission captures the attacker moved to tears talking with his parents, to whom he dedicated the title. An image that excites even the youngest fans who reproduce the scene.
sad goal
His enormous campaigns with the Cacique earned him the opportunity to leave for America from Mexico, where unfortunately he could not adapt, in part, due to different mood crises he had in the Aztec country. For that reason, he sought to return to Chile where the albos were his prioritybut a debt of the club with the Eagles for Toninho did not allow him to fulfill said desire.
Universidad Católica, at the request of Manuel Pellegrini, came to his rescue, but Barti could not forget his love for Colo Colo, experiencing the climax of that affection on May 30, 1995 when he had to score the remembered Gol Triste at the National Stadium. “That’s when I began to realize my affection, the day of the goal I played against Colo Colo. The people were extraordinary, the ovation when they named me over the loudspeaker was incredible. When I score the goal, I couldn’t shout it, I couldn’t let people down”, he narrated about that event.
That moment marked the end of his stay in the Crusaders and he would once again manage his return to the Monumental, but this time with success.
a longed for return
In 1996 he fulfilled his desire to return to the club of his loves. Colo Colo canceled the debt for Toninho to bring back one of the heroes of the Copa Libertadores 91 and thus present him at Noche Alba that year.
“Totinha’s money is paid. The next day it was Alba Night and Jorge (Vergara) told me, you have to travel, come, you’re going to be the surprise.’ The day of the Alba Night, I arrive at the stadium to arrange a contract and the fat Vergara tells me ‘we don’t have a penny’, if you sign here I’ll sit with you and we’ll settle well. I signed, I fixed without a weight. They present me as a surprise, that Alba Night was extraordinary. It was one of the most beautiful nights of my career”, recalls the idol.
Hand in hand with Benítez, the 7th of the People recovered its level, being fundamental in the great campaigns of a team that touched the second Libertadoresbut lost on penalties in a dramatic semifinal with Cruzeiro in 1997. That unforgettable group also scored two Super Cup semifinals and also won three national titles between 1996 and 1998.
The idol was back, living a second youth in a leading cast, but he would never imagine the institutional catastrophe that would come years later.
Bankrupt champion in his last professional year
January 17, 2002 was possibly the saddest day in the history of Colo Colo. The club had hit bottom when the supply to the Monumental Stadium had been cut off, there was no electricity or hot water, the emblematic Cienfuegos headquarters was taken over for non-payment of wages. The Cacique had been declared bankrupt and chaos was taking over the institution.
Faced with the budget cut, many players chose to leave and the squad seemed to be dismantled. Marcelo Barticciotto, who was 35 years old at the time and had planned to hang up his boots, decides to postpone his retirement to contribute one last grain of sand to the club that gave him so much.
He did not mind assuming a secondary role in the teamPlaying less and less, he wanted to give his experience to the youngsters who took responsibility for leading the whites to win the most emotional title in their history. He always remained at the forefront despite the fact that tragedy invaded his life with the sensitive death of his father, a person that he not only included in his career, but also in the postponement of his farewell to soccer. .
goodbye to football
On January 11, 2002, a new Alba Night was held, which It would also mark Marcelo Barticciotto’s farewell to football before a Monumental Stadium packed with about 50 thousand people. Despite the fact that they presented themselves to the new reinforcements, including the stellar announcement of Iván Zamoranoit was the 7 who received the greatest ovation.
On that occasion, the first team faced a selection of national figures such as Roberto Rojas, Jose Luis Sierra, Marcelo Vega, and Hugo Rubio., in addition to many former colleagues of Barti. The tribute was made during halftime, where the idol could not contain the emotion, especially for the personal moment he was living.
The former attacker always thought he would be with his father the day he hung up the boots and he would confess this years later: “She was not at my farewell, but I know that she saw her from above and saw her happy. What a strange feeling that of missing, instead of missing less with the passage of time, you miss more and more. My dad was one more colocolino and I know he will guide me throughout my life. He always told me ‘Marce, I have to be at your farewell’ and that’s why the date was moved so many times“.
There ended the successful career as a player of Marcelo Barticciotto, one of the most beloved in the history of Colo Colo and who would later take another Olympic tour, but as a coach. A figure that left eight national titles, three international and two Copa Chile. But most importantly, a benchmark that inspires transversal respect, someone with firm convictions and unfailing loyalty, values that many miss in modern football.
