Chilean midfield maestro a ‘beautiful player’ and ‘fantastic example’

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso says the club is going to do its best to keep influential midfielder Marcelo Allende at the club next season.

The contract of the Chilean, who joined the Brazilians in August 2022, comes to an end at the conclusion of the season.

There is no clarity as to how far the negotiations are. Allende recently said: “I am very professional, I have my last year here for now and I will always try to do my best until the end.”

Cardoso, speaking after Downs beat Lamontville Golden Arows 1-0 in their Carling Knockout quarterfinal a Loftus on Tuesday night, said Allende is influential to their game model because of his qualities and crucial to his teammates because of the professional manner in which he carries himself on and off the field.

Though he has never won the Midfielder of the Season award, Allende has been one of the Premier Soccer League’s most consistent players in that department over the past few years as a partner in Downs’ engine room to Bafana Bafana star Teboho Mokoena.

So impressive has he been that last season there was talk in some quarters that the South African Football Association (Safa) should consider naturalising the Chilean so he could be eligible to play for Bafana.

Allende, who has one cap for Chile’s senior national team, said he was open to the idea of switching nationalities, even though he could have been eligible next year.

“Brilliant is a fantastic adjective for him. There are not many players who have been at his standard,” Cardoso said about Allende. “He has been consistent for many years and he is a maestro. We are going to do our best to keep him with us for a long time.”

Cardoso said besides being a quality footballer, Allende has good qualities as a human being and in doing so makes those around him better people too.

Marcelo is a clever player and he is able to manage the game with or without pressure. He is a beautiful player to watch and he is a fantastic example.

—  Miguel Cardoso, Sundowns coach

“It’s a pleasure to see him training and playing. He is the first one to arrive and last to go. He is a player who runs about 12km per match consistently and a player who we have the pleasure to know as a human being.

“Him and his family are lovely people. Players like him are part of our environment and they help to shape character and attitude.

“We have many [like him at the club] and I think despite the absence of [injured] Mokoena, Bathusi Aubaas has been standing in very well [in central midfield] for the level that we want from him.

“But Marcelo makes those around him better players. There is no doubt about that. He does that because he can receive balls, he can deal with a pass that comes on the wrong foot and he can clean when there is pressure ... That means when you have the ball, you don’t lose it immediately — or you take it to spaces where there is more time to play.

“Marcelo is a clever player and he is able to manage the game with or without pressure. He is a beautiful player to watch and he is a fantastic example.”